Touched by the Fear
by scottspierce
Summary: A fatal accident left Hollis Griffin's world in pieces. As she struggles to put her life back together, Hollis is pulled into a supernatural world that leaves her with more questions than answers. But could those questions somehow lead her to the truth about the accident?
1. Chapter 1

_**Disclaimer** : I do not own Teen Wolf or the characters. I can only take credit for the original characters/storyline I have written. Please review to let me know what you think! :)_

* * *

 **Mid-June.**

Behind the metal fence was a graveyard. Cars of all makes and models were haphazardly placed throughout the lot, all bearing the signs of their premature deaths. Hollis Griffin stared straight ahead, her green eyes scanning the twisted heaps of metal and broken glass. There were so many tragedies in this confined space that just broke her heart. She took in every dent, every missing piece and let out a shaky breath, her eyes frozen on the scene before her. A strong hand placed itself on her shoulder just then and, she turned to face her dad, Grant, who somberly stood beside her.

He offered her a weak smile as he, too looked out at the sea of wrecked cars. "The guys checking to see where the car is," he informed her.

She nodded. A wave of nausea and nerves hit her. In just a few minutes, she would see the car that had shattered her whole world. She was anything but ready.

A few silent minutes passed by, the California sun beating down on them. Neither of them said a word, not that there was much to say. She stole a few glances at the man who she used to call 'dad'. But he was no longer that to her; instead, the man beside her was a stranger, a ghost. After six long years of silence, he returned to Beacon Hills. The death of her mom and stepdad brought him back home but she had no idea if he would stick around or for how long. Part of her believed he would leave just like he did all those years ago.

The sound of keys jingling brought Hollis back to the present.

"Alright, folks, I got it!" A middle-aged man said with more liveliness than she thought acceptable for the situation. His cheerfulness irritated her and, she threw an annoyed look in his direction. He clearly missed it because he strode towards the locked fence. "It was in a stack of papers so I had to do some diggin' but I found it."

The sound of the gate opening reached her ears and her breath hitched in her throat. _This is it_ , she thought, forcing her legs to move. She felt numb. She wasn't ready but, then again, it wasn't something someone could prepare for.

The space between each car was narrow; the whole lot felt maze-like as they maneuvered through the small spaces.

"Well, it's around here _somewhere_ ," the guy said, scratching his head. He turned around in a circle, looking down at the piece of paper he held in his hands. "Aha, there it is!" His exuberant shout made it seem as if they had just found lost treasure.

Again, Hollis felt irritated with him. But when her eyes followed to where he pointed, her heart sank.

The sight before her caused Hollis to stop dead. The black Honda was almost unrecognizable. If it wasn't for the silly Snow White sticker on the back passenger window than Hollis would never have guessed that _this_ had been her mother's car. What stood before her now was a dented and misshapen mass; chunks of the windshield were missing, the grill was practically on the ground and the hood mimicked an accordion. The back was just as bad.

A pang of heartache so hard hit her that she almost doubled over. Flashes of the accident raced through her mind, memories that she permanently wanted to file away. But here she stood, looking at the biggest reminder of that night.

Just then, her lungs felt constricted. Hollis tried to take in a deep breath but she couldn't. Her heart thudded against her chest so fast and loud that she thought it would explode. Closing her eyes, Hollis counted her short breaths, willing her lungs to cooperate. _One in, one out,_ she repeated in her mind, trying to get through her panic attack. Seconds that felt more like hours passed but, finally, she could feel a small amount of air enter. The world stopped spinning and her heart seemed to slow, although it was still beating fast.

Opening her eyes, she saw the concerned look on her dad's face. She couldn't get any words out just yet so she nodded, letting him know that she was ok.

"I knew I shouldn't have brought you here. It's too much, too soon."

It was exactly that. But she needed to do this, to be here even though it was the most painful thing she could do. "No, I'm ok." _But let's get this over with_ , she thought and moved towards the wreckage.

She opened the door and the smell of talcum powder hit her. All the airbags had deployed during the accident and suffocated the car with its distinct smell. Hollis briefly remembered breathing in a lungful of that air, of feeling the little particles coat her throat and lungs.

"Hollis," Grant said, breaking through her thoughts. "I need to fill out some paperwork. Are you going to be okay here?"

"Yeah," she answered.

He stood in place, hesitant to leave her. After a few seconds passed, he nodded. He stepped away with the worker, who was happily chatting away about something neither of them cared about.

She was left alone. With a big sigh, she lowered herself into the car. Hollis searched through the compartments for anything that she needed, that she wanted to take before she left it behind. Only a few items were worth saving such as her sunglasses, a notebook that had wedged itself between the seats and a few other useless items that she couldn't bear to leave behind. She opened the visor and a picture fell out, landing on the floor by her feet. Gingerly, she picked it up. It was a picture of her mom, stepdad and herself a few years back; they each wore big smiles, much like they did each time they were together. She smiled at the happy reminder even though her heart gave just a little.

Swinging the bag over her shoulder, Hollis made her way around the car. She took in every indentation, every shard of glass that was missing. It was painful but, at the same time, it was closure. She _needed_ to face this if she wanted to move on. But even as she tried to convince herself that she needed to do this, the bitter sting of tears blurred her vision. Blinking them away, she brushed her hand across the car. As her fingers trailed the surface, Hollis caught something that she hadn't noticed before. Five long and sharp impressions had broken through the paint. They ended when they reached the back but, there, they were also deeper. They faintly looked like scratches but from what? These looked animal like. She didn't know of any animal that could do leave marks like these yet there wasn't any other explanation.

Hollis pulled her camera from the bag and intently stared at the marks. Bringing the lens to her eye, she focused and took a few pictures. She zoomed in on the scratches (?) and snapped a couple more pictures. Why she felt the need to do that, she didn't know. Something told her that they were important or perhaps she just wanted to believe they were so she could find an explanation on why they crashed that night. With a soft sigh, she placed the camera back in her bag just when her dad walked up.

"How did it go?" He questioned.

"It was fine. I'm all done." Hollis stepped away from him and his gentle, concerned look. Without waiting for a response, she made her way across the lot. She didn't look back at the car or to see if her dad was behind her. She didn't stop until she left the car cemetery and all the lost lives behind her.

 **Now.**

The sunlight filtered in through the window, lightly touching all surfaces of the room. The sky was a light shade of blue and, the abundance of sunshine held promise for a beautiful day. For Hollis, the only promise the day held was the one of reminders; of a life changed. She stared into the full-length mirror, trying to gather as much confidence and strength as she could for the start of the day. But everything was different now and, no matter how hard she tried to convince herself otherwise, she knew the ugly truth in the back of her mind. She tilted her head to the side and stared at her reflection. A smile stretched itself across her face but it felt too forced. It _looked_ too forced, much as it had been for the entirety of the summer. Her eyes seemed to betray her act of happiness as well and, the smile faltered before it disappeared completely.

A faint beep brought her attention to her phone, which sat face down on her desk. She flipped the phone over and her dark, manicured nails touched the screen. A text message lit up the screen and, her eyes quickly read ' _Meet me before first period? – Carter'._ With a sigh, she turned the screen off before another message appeared ' _Call me when you get to school.'_ Again, it was from Carter. Shaking her head, she put her phone in her jacket without replying. Over the last couple days, possibly weeks, Hollis had ignored most of his texts and calls. She didn't know the reasoning behind it. Pushing the guilt down, she instead tried to focus on the day ahead.

With a deep breath, she stepped into the hallway. The aroma of coffee hit her right away, a smile softly grazing her face. Making her way down the wooden stairs, she entered the open kitchen where a fresh pot of coffee awaited her. Reaching for her favorite mug, she poured herself a steaming cup of coffee. Hollis raised the mug to her lips. A sip of the scalding liquid immediately brought relief to her. The taste of caffeine was prominent and strong, just like she liked it.

Her eyes went to the muted TV. The morning news was on with the feature story about a body that had been found in the woods the previous night. She watched with interest when the video showed the Beacon Hills Preserve; blue and red lights danced in the background while the two joggers who had found the body were talking to the cops.

Immersed in the story, Hollis didn't notice her dad walk in.

"Good morning."

Jumping slightly, she turned to face him. She watched as he poured himself a cup of coffee, the steam rising up into the air. He leaned against the white marble counter and looked over at her before drinking his coffee black.

"Morning." She returned a small smile before focusing her attention on the TV.

"What happened?" Grant asked. He glanced at the TV and turned the volume up a little. The newscaster's voice seeped out through the speakers, reporting on the body.

"Some joggers found a body last night," she replied.

They watched the rest of the three-minute report in silence before the commercial came on.

Hitting the mute button, Grant turned to her. He studied her silently, a worried look appearing on his face. "You know, you can stay home if you're not ready. School can wait another day."

Shaking her head, she forced a smile. "I'm fine. I'll be… fine," she told him, with a hint of doubt in her voice. Hollis took a sip of coffee and cleared her throat. "Besides, it's the first day of school. I really shouldn't miss it. And I told Lydia I'd be in."

"Alright, if you're sure," he said. "Do you want me to drop you off? We could get coffee on the way." Grant quickly looked at the cups of coffee they both held. Clearing his throat, he added, "Or we could grab something to eat and talk. Whatever you want."

"Thanks, but I'll be fine," Hollis said reassuringly, with more confidence than she felt. How many times had she said 'fine' that morning? It was a word that weaved its way into her vocabulary. Somewhere along the line, the word had lost its meaning.

Grant nodded in response. "At least eat something," he told her. "Can't live off of coffee, you know."

"I'll grab something at school." Hollis finished the drink and placed the empty cup on the counter. "Anyway, I don't want to be late." Taking hold of her bag, she picked up her keys and made her way towards the door. "I'll be home after school."

She had made it to the front door before her dad's voice stopped her. "Hollis."

She turned to face him. Hollis held her breath, hoping to avoid anything deep whether it was something complicated like a start to a conversation or something simple like a hug.

"Have a good first day," he eventually said with a warm smile.


	2. Chapter 2

The parking lot of Beacon Hills High School was filling up quickly when Hollis arrived. She pulled into the first available space and turned the engine off. Sitting in the quietness of the car, she mentally prepared herself for the day. There were a lot of raw emotions taking place inside of her and, they were hitting her hard. It was something that she couldn't seem to shake. The fact that Hollis was starting the school year off without her mom and stepdad there by her side hurt... a lot. Each year, they had seen her off to school but now they were just _gone_. Although she had accepted this horrible truth, it didn't make the pain lessen.

Taking a few steadying breaths, she looked down at her fists, which were tightly clenched. _One in, one out,_ Hollis thought while she focused on her breathing, which had become irregular. The lightheadedness began, followed by the inability to breathe. _Not now. Please_ , she thought, fighting for control. She repeated the mantra in her head until it started to work. Her view became clear and her lungs seemed to function properly. Unclenching her hands, she saw the faint crescent marks her nails had left on her palms.

Hollis took a deep breath and raised her eyes. The image of students piling out of cars and buses brought her back to the present. People walked in front of the three-story building, all immersed in their own lives and deep in conversation with their friends. Everything seemed so... normal. It was what she wanted. Hollis wanted to have her life back; to move on without the pain being a constant reminder of what happened.

A soft tap at the window caused her to turn her head. She was greeted by the cheerful face and red hair of her best friend, Lydia Martin.

"Did you plan on sitting there all day?" Lydia questioned, her cheery voice breaking through the loud chatter around them when Hollis stepped out.

Shaking her head, she said, "No, I just got lost in thought."

Tilting her head to the side, Lydia examined her. "Are you okay?" She placed a comforting hand on her arm.

 _No, I'm not okay_ , she thought but that wasn't what she replied with. "Yeah, I'm fine." She said, automatically. "I _promise_ ," Hollis added with a smile when she noticed the skeptical look on her face.

Her friend nodded and pulled her into a hug. That quick hug had taken away the anxiety and pain she felt. One of the things she loved about Lydia was that she never pressured her into talking. She simply waited until Hollis was ready to talk and was there for her. Sometimes, a simple gesture meant more than words. She wished that others would see her as other than the popular, beautiful, and shallow girlfriend of Jackson Whitmore, the lacrosse captain. No one knew her like she did. Underneath that faux exterior laid a caring and incredibly smart girl. Hollis was happy to be friends with her, to see a side of her that not many people got a chance to witness.

After the hug ended, Lydia gave her a once over. Nodding, she flashed one of her contagious smiles. "Cute outfit." Looping her arm with Hollis, Lydia led her away from the parking lot. The number of students grew considerably once they neared the main entrance of the school. She tried to keep up with what Lydia was saying but, somewhere along the way, she lost it. It was something about fashion and a party, or was it? Hollis couldn't be sure. She knew that Lydia would repeat it to her multiple times throughout the day.

With a quick look around, she noticed a few curious and sympathetic looks thrown her way. Hollis was tired of those looks. She had gotten those looks a hundred times during the summer. She tried to ignore them as best she could but it wasn't easy. Although all of Beacon County knew the horrible fate that had torn her life in half, she wished she could escape the looks and the soft whispering. No matter how hard she tried to move on, Hollis was always brought back to the car accident. Yanked back was more like it. People in the small town didn't let such topics drop even if it had been months.

Stopping mid-walk, she ignored the impatient look on Lydia's face as she looked over her shoulder. "I'll catch up with you. I think I left my phone in the car." Without waiting for her to reply, she doubled back towards the parking lot.

Opening the car door, she spotted her phone that was still plugged into the charger. Hollis reached over the seat, unplugged it and straightened up quickly. Too quickly. Her head collided with the roof of the car and a dull throb immediately began at the back of her head.

"Ow," she said, gently maneuvering out of the car. The door closed with a soft thud and, Hollis rubbed the back of her head. It was a superficial wound but it didn't make it hurt any less. "Perfect way to start the day," she mumbled to herself and started back towards the building.

"Are you ok?" An unfamiliar voice asked. Stopping in her tracks, she turned to look at a fair skinned girl with dark hair sitting on a bench. Sensing the confused look on her face, the girl spoke again to clarify. "I saw you hit your head."

"Oh, right." With a laugh, she lifted her hand to her head. "Yeah, I'm fine. Clumsy, but I'll live." She stared at the girl, whose face she didn't recognize. "Are you new here? I don't think I've seen you around."

The girl nodded, an anxious look appearing on her face. "It's my first day," she said with a big sigh. "I'm Allison Argent," she added with a smile.

"Hollis Griffin." Hollis took an immediate liking to her and had a feeling that they would become good friends. "Welcome to Beacon Hills," she added. Allison made room for her on the bench and she sat down beside her. The stone felt hard and cool against her thighs. Placing her bag in her lap, she looked towards her. "Where are you from?"

"Everywhere?" Allison laughed with a shrug. "I was in San Francisco for a year but we had to move here because of my dad's job. Before that, I've lived in a few different towns and states. We don't really stay long in one place. San Francisco was an exception, though. We were there for a little over a year. But, in the end, we always seem to move." A nostalgic look appeared on her face before she brushed it off and replaced it with a smile. "I'm kind of nervous, to be honest. It's silly, right? I start over so many times that I should be used to it by now."

Shaking her head, Hollis put a smile on her face. "Don't be! Technically, it's everyone's first day. They're all worried about what classes they have and with whom. Typical first day stuff," she told her, trying to make her feel better. "Besides, you already made a friend."

With a grateful smile, she nodded. "That does make me less nervous. But, still, being the new girl never stops to suck."

Although she nodded understandingly, she couldn't put herself in Allison's shoes. She didn't know what it felt like to be the new girl. Hollis had lived in Beacon Hills her entire life. She had grown up with the people in her grade and, although she only had a handful of friends, she knew everyone. She couldn't imagine moving so often and starting over in different places. Clearing her throat, she moved a few strands of hair out of her eyes. "It won't be too bad. I promise," she said. "Let me see your schedule." Once Allison handed her the paper, Hollis studied it and compared it with her own schedule. Grinning, she looked at Allison. "We have first period together!" she stated, happily. "And it looks like we have a few more, too. See?" She handed the paper back to her. "I told you it wouldn't be so bad."

Allison nodded, clearly happy. The first day jitters had somewhat disappeared from her face.

Hollis smiled at her then looked towards the school. A few people walked inside, which made her realize that not many people were outside anymore. She turned the screen on her phone to be greeted by a message from Lydia and two more messages and a missed call from Carter. Ignoring them, she looked at the time and her eyes grew wide.

"Class starts in five minutes! Come on, we'll be late." She stood up, swinging the bag over her shoulder.

"I'm supposedly getting the grand tour from the Principal. I'm waiting until he shows up," Allison told her. "But I'll catch up with you."

"Oh, alright." She nodded. "I'll save you a seat." With one final smile, she walked towards the building.

The hallways were emptying when Hollis entered the building. She ignored the 'Welcome Back' banners and other encouraging posters that plastered the walls. Her footsteps echoed on the tiled floor, reverberating off the lockers. The path towards her locker was memorized and, she loved falling back into a familiar pattern. It was comforting to know which way to go and what was waiting for her at the end. She had been missing that familiarity, that rhythm in her life. Perhaps being back at school was exactly what she needed. Hollis had doubted it that morning but, now that she was inside the school, her opinion on the matter started to change. So far, it did a good job at keeping her occupied. She needed this. A schedule. A plan.

After a quick stop at her locker, Hollis made her way towards her English class. No sooner had she opened the door that the bell had rung. She stepped further in to find a room full of students already seated. All were in the midst of talking, which meant that class hadn't officially begun yet. Her eyes surveyed the area for several seconds. Two unoccupied desks near the back, which were behind Scott McCall and Stiles Stilinksi, caught her attention. Hollis walked through the clutter of bags and legs that littered the aisle. Taking the seat behind Stiles, she placed one notebook on the other desk to signal that it was taken.

Mr. Curtis entered just when she had gotten situated. He was a serious, middle-aged man who looked just as unhappy about the first day as the students did.

Without as much as a glance in their direction, he began to write on the chalkboard. "As you all know by now, there was indeed a body found in the woods last night."

A low hum of chatter started in the room, growing louder with each second.

Although Hollis had already heard the news, it was alarming, to say the least. Beacon Hills was a quiet town and, apart from a few petty crimes here and there, nothing bad ever happened. It was disturbing to think that there was a killer in their little town; that anyone in it was capable of killing someone. At that, she shivered.

"Yeah, half a body," Stiles whispered to Scott. A knowing look passed between them that Hollis caught.

Curious, Hollis inched forward in her seat. "Did you guys just say half?" They both whirled around to face her, shock written on their faces. "Sorry, I overheard," she added with a small smile.

Scott nodded slowly but it was Stiles who answered. "Uh, yeah. It was definitely half. Not whole," he said, nodding the entire time. "But, you know," he said and, in order to emphasize the word, he cut the air in front of her horizontally, "half."

Hollis wrinkled her nose at the information. "That's insane," she said more to herself than the two boys.

"Yup. My buddy, Scott, found the other half last night," he said proudly, winking at his friend.

Scott looked horrified that Stiles revealed that bit of information. "Stiles!" He whisper yelled at the same time that Hollis asked, "What?" Nervously, Scott looked at Hollis.

"Are you serious?" She questioned. "Do you know how dangerous and stupid that was? You could have gotten hurt…or worse!"

"Yeah," Scott said guiltily. "I'll probably have nightmares for a week." He groaned. His expression became distant, as if he were seeing the body all over again. With a look her way, he gave her a wistful smile. "Just please don't mention it to anyone. No one really knows it wasn't a whole body…or that I found it." He shot a glare in Stiles' direction before looking at Hollis.

"Secret's safe with me," Hollis told him reassuringly. "But how did you…."

Mr. Curtis cut the conversation short. "McCall! Stilinksi! Do you plan on starting the year off by disrupting my class?"

The three of them looked towards the front of the room. But, before the two boys could reply, Hollis spoke up. "Sorry, Mr. Curtis, it was my fault." At this, Scott and Stiles turned and looked at her with bewilderment and gratitude.

He looked towards her before he nodded. "Don't let it happen again," he said sternly.

"It won't," she told him as Scott looked down at his notebook.

Stiles shook his head. "It's definitely not going to happen again. No need to worry," Stiles said with a big smile, giving Mr. Curtis two thumbs-up.

Hollis laughed into her hand, rolling her eyes at his response.

Mr. Curtis didn't seem amused but rather than reprimand him, he turned his attention back towards the rest of the class. "Your undivided attention can be given to the syllabus outlining the semester on your desks. Read it now. And by read I don't mean skim."

With a smile, Hollis lowered her eyes and began to read the syllabus. She read through it quickly and zoned out when Mr. Curtis went through each point. English was the subject she excelled at and she was excited for this class. There was something about expressing oneself through words, of diving into a different world that she loved. It was something that she had shared with her mom.

Mr. Curtis read the assignments off one by one. There were several books that her mother would've loved. Staring at the titles, she felt a stab of pain in her heart. Just before she could let her broken heart consume her, there was a knock at the door. Everyone glanced up at the principal who walked in with a student.

"Class, this is our new student, Allison Argent. Please do your best to make her feel welcome," the principal said and, with a nod towards Allison, left the room.

Her eyes darted around the room uncertainly. Hollis caught her attention with a small wave and motioned to the desk next to hers. Reaching over, she pulled the notebook from its surface once Allison made her way across the room.

When Allison sat down, Scott turned and held a pen out to her. The girls shared a puzzled look before Allison smiled and took it with a quiet 'thanks'. Hollis shook her head at the exchange and the love-struck look on Scott's face.

"Okay, let's begin with Kafka..." Mr. Curtis said, pulling everyone back to the reading at hand.

The discussion of _The Metamorphosis_ seemed to drag on and on. Hollis had a hard time focusing on the material and, each time that she tried to listen to Mr. Curtis, her mind drifted.

The sound of the bell signaled the end of first period. Chairs scrapped against the tiled floor and multiple conversations filled the room as everyone rushed to collect their belongings. Hollis held back her sigh of frustration and stood up, taking her bag from the chair. Stiles stood abruptly, hitting her desk with his chair and, she watched her books slide off the edge. The thud of the books was muffled by the noise but it didn't go unnoticed by her or Stiles. A few papers spilled out, going in different directions. With a soft sigh, she bent down to gather her things.

"Sorry, Hollis. I didn't mean to, uhm...it was an accident. Sorry," Stiles stammered as he helped collect the papers. He handed them out to her with a guilty look on his face.

"Thanks." She took the papers from him and smiled. "And, it's OK. Don't worry about it."

Now that her things weren't strewn over the classroom floor, they stood up. She placed the books in her bag and looked up to see him still standing there. Tilting her head to the side, she shrugged. "Seriously, Stiles, don't beat yourself up."

With a smile, he nodded. "Right! I-I didn't want you to think I had something against your notes or..." He trailed off with a nervous laugh. One hand flew to the back of his neck.

A bemused expression crossed her features before she laughed. "Well, my notes forgive you." Hollis caught his brown eyes and looked into them for a few seconds too long. The noise of lockers slamming brought her back before she could dwell on it much longer. She broke eye contact first, readjusting the strap of her bag.

"I should go," she said quietly. "I'll see you around," she stated, although it came out more as a question. With one last smile, Hollis walked past him.

Hollis made her way down the hallway, lost in thought. Seeing Allison near the lockers, Hollis cut through the crowd to join her.

"What happened to you?" Allison asked when Hollis reached her.

"What do you mean?"

"I left the class and you disappeared," she explained, a curious expression etched on her face.

"Oh, right, sorry," she said with a laugh and a shake of her head. "I knocked my books over and..."

"That jacket is absolutely killer. Where did you get it?" Lydia questioned, suddenly appearing beside the two girls.

With a quizzical look in Hollis's direction, she said, "My mom was a buyer for a boutique back in San Francisco."

A smile lit up Lydia's face. "You're my new best friend," she stated with a nod. She looked towards Hollis before she spoke with a shrug. "Sorry, Hollis, I love you but that jacket."

She rolled her eyes but couldn't help the soft laugh that escaped her lips. "I thought you were done ditching me for fashion," she joked. "Anyway, Allison, this is Lydia. Lydia, Allison."

Introductions took place followed by an in-depth conversation about fashion. She looked past her two friends where the rest of the students were. The roar of conversations was loud, so loud that it almost drowned out Lydia and Allison. She looked across the hall and, her eyes landed on Scott and Stiles. Hollis smiled in their direction. She shook her head at the still love-struck look on Scott's face. Clearly, he was oblivious to everything but Allison. She caught Stiles' eye for a brief moment but, when a strong arm wrapped itself around her waist, their eye contact was broken.

She looked up to notice Carter Reed. The smile he wore on his face faltered when he looked down at her but his grip remained strong.

"Didn't you get my texts or calls?" He asked quietly, staring at her intently. "I was waiting for you this morning but you never showed." He looked hurt that she had ignored him. It was the same look he had given her for almost all of summer break. She hated that gaze but it seemed to be permanently fixed on his face whenever he looked at her.

Hollis had dated Carter for the past year and a half. Although they had known one another for years, their relationship hadn't gone beyond friends. He was a year older than her and, she had a big crush on him for all of middle school. It wasn't until she joined Lydia's clique that he noticed her, really noticed her. Their relationship had grown over the last thirty months to the point where they knew everything about one another. For a while, she had been happy with him. He understood her and they were comfortable together. Somewhere along the line, something changed. She had changed. Her parents' death had transformed her. While Lydia understood and accepted this, Carter hadn't. In a way, she had been pushing him away whether it was intentional or not.

Hollis nodded. "Yeah, sorry. I meant to text you back but this morning was kind of crazy." It wasn't a lie exactly but it wasn't the truth either. She had the time to reply, to call him back but she hadn't.

His face gave away his true feelings. He opened his mouth to speak but, before he could, someone joined their group. For once, Hollis was happy to see Jackson. He appeared beside Lydia and nodded to Carter before draping his arm around the redhead. "What are we talking about?" He asked, feigning interest.

"Fashion," Lydia answered as if that was the obvious answer.

The conversation took a turn in the direction of a party this Friday night, a party that Lydia had briefly mentioned before. It was sort of a tradition at Beacon High. Last year, the four of them attended together. Hollis had typically looked forward to the party but this year, a sense of dread filled her. The idea of going out, of being surrounded by a crowd of people somehow terrified her.

"A party?" Allison asked.

"Friday night. We could all go together," Carter suggested, looking around at the group hopefully.

"I can't. It's Family Night this Friday. But thanks for asking," Allison answered with a small smile.

"What about you?" Jackson asked, looking at Hollis. "Are you coming?"

Hollis shook her head. "Sorry, I can't."

"That figures." The annoyance was clear in Carter's voice. Shaking it off, he continued. "You two sure? Everyone's going after the scrimmage game."

Hollis nodded when Allison asked, "You mean like football?"

Horrified, both Carter and Jackson looked at her. Allison looked to Hollis and Lydia for support but, before either of them could talk, Jackson spoke.

"Football is a joke at Beacon," he shook his head and laughed. "The sport here is Lacrosse. We won the State championship the last three years-"

"Because of a certain team captain," Lydia finished. She wrapped her arms around him, a proud smile tugging at her lips.

Hollis couldn't help but roll her eyes at her remark and the PDA taking place in front of her. Although she didn't having anything against Jackson, the two of them hardly saw eye to eye. They would always find something to disagree on. It had been like that since they first started to hang out.

"Jackson really does hold the team up." She looked towards Allison before directing a comment at Jackson. "But, the rest of the team helps, of course. It's not a one person sport, although Jackson seems to think he's the only one that matters."

He was about to reply but Lydia nudged him, shaking her head. "Anyway," he began, shooting a glare in Hollis's direction. "Every season starts with a scrimmage to decide the new first string. You ever watch Lacrosse?"

"I'm actually not sure how it's played other than-well, violently," Allison admitted, embarrassed.

"Maybe you should just come see for yourself. We have practice today. You don't have to be anywhere right after school, do you?" Jackson looked at her, raising an eyebrow.

Nervously, Allison shook her head. "Well, no."

With a triumphant smile and nod, Lydia looked at the two girls. "Perfect. You're coming. Both of you," she stated. As if everything was decided, she and Jackson walked away.

"So, Lydia and Jackson are…" Allison trailed off, turning to look at Hollis.

"Intense," Hollis finished with a laugh. "They can definitely be overwhelming."

Carter removed his arm from her waist and went to stand in front of her. "Can we talk, Hollis?" He asked, his eyes searching hers.

"Second period is about to start, Carter. I still need to show Allison where her next class is." She winced at the look he gave her, clearly exasperated. She placed her hand on his arm before applying a soft smile to her face. "Later, I promise." It was another word that she used often these days. _Promise_. "Before practice, meet me at my locker."

He pulled his arm free of her grasp, as if burned by her touch. "Fine." With that, he walked into the crowd. Hollis stared after him until he disappeared. A sense of guilt hit her but there wasn't anything that she could do now.

Allison looked in the direction Carter went and back to Hollis. Shaking her head, Hollis gave her a look that said she would tell her later. With that, the girls went towards their next class.


	3. Chapter 3

_Thanks to everyone who read, favorited and followed. It really means a lot :) Reviews would be great, though. I'd love to hear what you guys think so far!_

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The day had come to an end and Hollis stood by her locker, gathering her things. The remainder of the school day had been uneventful, save for Carter who kept his distance from her. She had tried to talk to him several times but he either ignored her or walked away when she started to talk. After a few tries, she had given up.

Closing the locker, she turned to find Carter behind her.

"You scared me," she laughed nervously. One look at his face caused her laughter to end. "Look, I'm sorry about earlier. I'm just... preoccupied."

A humorless laugh escaped his lips, his dark eyes trained on her. "That's nothing new, Hollis." His voice was bitter, just like the expression he wore.

"I know." Closing her eyes, she let out an audible sigh. "So, what did you want to talk about?" She changed the subject, praying that an argument wouldn't erupt. The day had gone well thus far and ruining it with a fight wasn't something she wanted to do. Especially one with Carter. She knew they weren't on the best terms right now but she hoped to avoid confrontation.

"This." He motioned to himself and Hollis. Without waiting for her to react, he continued. "It feels like you've been avoiding me all summer. We hardly talk or go out and…I don't know, Hollis. It feels like you don't want me around anymore."

"That's not true, Carter!" His expression told her that he didn't believe her. Hollis reached for his hand and looked up at him. "I know I've been distant lately and I'm really sorry." She glanced down at their hands and opened her mouth to speak but no words came out. Hollis wanted to assure him that he was wrong but was he? "I guess I'm still trying to get my life back together. I want everything to feel normal again. The last few months have been…" Biting her lower lip, she shrugged. "But that's no excuse for shutting you out. I'm sorry."

Shaking his head, he put both hands on her arms. The angry look on his face softened as he studied her. "No, I get it. I just…miss you, that's all."

"I miss you, too." Hollis did miss him. She missed how everything used to be, how normal everything had felt. Now all that she was left with was a jumbled mess of what _had_ been.

"Maybe you should come to the party on Friday, Hollis." Seeing the horrorstruck look on her face, he held up a hand to keep her from interrupting. "Being surrounded by your friends might just be what you need. It'll be fun and it beats staying home surrounded by homework…alone."

A party was the last place that she wanted to be at yet it was something _normal_ for her to do. Normality was the one thing that she strived for amongst the craziness of her life. Hollis tilted her head, thinking his words over. A few silent seconds passed before she nodded, a smile tugging at her lips. "Alright. You talked me into it," she answered with a laugh before she was pulled into a hug. She relaxed and leaned against him. For a minute, things seemed almost normal, comfortable. She missed this. Reluctantly, she pulled back and looked up at him. "I should go find Lydia and Allison."

He nodded, loosening his grip on her. "I'll see you later," he said with that familiar smile she loved.

 **[- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -]**

"Sorry I'm late." Hollis climbed the bleachers and sat down next to Allison and Lydia.

"I was beginning to get worried that you ditched," Lydia said, turning to look at her. "You didn't miss much…well, anything, really. They're setting up so you arrived just in time."

She nodded, turning her attention towards the field. From where she sat, Hollis had a clear view of the players. Although she couldn't for the life of her remember all the players by their numbers, she was able to locate a few familiar faces. In her search, she spotted an over confident Jackson who happened to look in their direction. A smug smile plastered his face and, with much hesitation, Hollis managed a small smile in return. She looked away from him, her eyes landing on Coach Finstock who was talking to a nervous looking Scott.

"Who is that?" Allison asked.

Lydia casually looked over and shrugged. "Him? I'm not sure who he is. Why?"

"He's in our English class," Allison said.

Rolling her eyes, she glanced at Lydia. "That's Scott," Hollis answered. "Seriously, Lydia? He's been in our grade since elementary school."

"Oh." She shrugged, as if this was the first she was hearing of it. "So, did you and Carter make up?" Lydia asked, brilliantly changing the subject.

"How did...?" She trailed off.

"Nothing gets past me," she stated proudly. "So, did you?"

Hollis nodded, which earned her a happy squeal from Lydia. "He convinced me to go to the party," she admitted, looking at Allison.

"Perfect!" Lydia said, clapping her hands. "Now if only we could convince miss-I've-got-family-night to come along." She looked at the brunette with a playful glare.

Allison shrugged. "Sorry, I wish I could."

At the sound of the whistle, the girls cut their conversation short.

Her eyes were fixed on the field, where Scott grudgingly walked to the goal. He looked worried while he prepared for the first person to shoot the ball. With a quick look in their direction, he distracted himself long enough for the first player to hurl the ball. Rather than stop it, the ball hit his helmet and bounced into the goal. Laughter erupted right away; even the coach wasn't hiding his amusement, not that he ever did. Hollis could swear that he loved the humiliation and embarrassment of his team and students. She kept her eyes glued to him and, when he caught the next couple balls with ease, she cheered along with everyone.

"He seems like he's pretty good," Allison stated.

Hollis nodded when Lydia said, "Yeah, very good."

She was happy for Scott, proud even. But then Jackson pushed his way to the front, determined to bring Scott down. She knew him well enough to know that he didn't want anyone to be better than him. This was his way of bringing all attention to himself and to humiliate Scott in the process. For this, she disliked him. Hollis held her breath when he angrily charged towards Scott and flung the ball with rage. When Scott easily caught it, she smiled. Even Lydia cheered, which earned the three of them a glare from Jackson.

The remainder of practice was good but nothing remotely interesting happened, nothing that could beat Scott's quick rise to lacrosse stardom. When the final whistle blew, the two girls followed Lydia off the bleachers. A crowd of students formed around the players, congratulating their friends who did well and cheering up the ones who didn't.

Hollis couldn't keep the gleeful look from showing on her face as she neared him.

He noticed because he scowled at her right away. "Don't even start, Hollis," he said angrily, shaking his head.

"Oh, come on, Jackson," she said with a laugh. "It's not everyday that the king of lacrosse gets dethroned."

"I didn't get dethroned." His voice was icy and a glare was directed at her. "So McCall got lucky for once. It won't happen again."

"It better not," Lydia said with disapproval.

Allison and Hollis exchanged a look. She knew that tone in Lydia's voice very well. She was about to get into one of her 'I'm not dating a loser' speeches and, Hollis took this as a cue to leave. She slipped away with Allison just as a heated argument broke out between them. Shaking her head, she couldn't help but feel bad for Jackson at that moment. Any fight with the fiery redhead was a battle already lost.

"I'm glad we escaped that."

"Me, too." Allison said, who looked happy to be out of the battlefield. "That looked intense."

Hollis let out a laugh while she nodded. "It always is." She glanced over at her friend before adding, "You get used to it, though."

They walked in silence until they were far away enough from the two. Their silence was interrupted by Allison's phone, which she answered on the third ring.

That was my mom," Allison began once she hung up. "She's here to drive me home."

"Oh, I could've given you a lift," Hollis told her.

"Thanks. Maybe next time?"

Hollis nodded before the two parted ways. She watched Allison walk across the field and her eyes briefly landed on Lydia and Jackson.

As gust of wind picked up, she hugged her jacket closer to her body. The unsteady weather was a clear inclination that summer was at an end, with fall just around the corner. She liked the shift in seasons. It was reassuring, peaceful.

Moving her hair out of her face, her eyes scanned the area around her. She caught sight of Scott and Stiles talking. Hollis moved towards the two boys, catching the last few bits of their conversation.

"That was unbelievable! I mean... Wow," Stiles said, at a loss for words.

"It was pretty cool, huh?" Scott said, a mixed look of surprise and happiness etched on his face.

"You were great out there," Hollis told him when she appeared beside them. They turned to her, obviously surprised to see her. "Even Lydia was impressed," she went on. "Jackson, not so much." She looked in his direction to see his face permanently frozen on unhappy.

"Oh, thanks, Hollis," Scott said.

"Jackson needs to get brought down to planet earth once in a while. I mean, he's good but-"

"He thinks he's the best thing since sliced bread," Stiles muttered, finishing her sentence. He looked at them sheepishly but his words earned him a smile from them both.

"I know that Allison was impressed." Hollis looked at him, watching the dreamy look reappear.

"Yeah? Really? Did she-did she say anything?" Scott asked.

"Just that you were really good. She couldn't take her eyes off of you, either." She couldn't hide her smile at his reaction. "You should ask her to the party on Friday. You're both coming, right?" She glanced from one to the other.

"Of course we're coming!" Stiles exclaimed.

"I thought you and Allison couldn't make it," Scott said, getting a confused look from Hollis. "I, uh, overheard."

"Oh, well, I wasn't planning on going but Carter convinced me." Hollis said. She turned to look at Stiles, whose smile faltered a bit. "But you like Allison so you should ask her." She turned her attention back to Scott and nodded.

Scott groaned. "It's not that obvious, is it?" He asked, embarrassed.

"No, it is," Stiles said. "Like, really _really_ obvious. You might as well have it written on your face. So, yeah, it's obvious."

"Great, thanks, Stiles," Scott muttered and shot him a glare. "But, I don't know…about the party, I mean. What if she says no? What if she doesn't like me back? What if –"

"What if you just ask her and find out?" Hollis asked.

A light blush crept up his face. "Yeah, uh, maybe. I could do that."

"Hollis!" Turning, they saw Lydia and Jackson waving her over.

With a roll of her eyes, she shrugged. "The royals call," she said with a laugh. "I'm pretty sure she does like you back, Scott," Hollis said before walking away.


	4. Chapter 4

Hollis stepped through the front door to be greeted by the smell of dinner. Calling out, she dropped her bag on the floor and walked into the kitchen. The sight before her brought a smile to her face. Her dad stood by the stove, whistling off-tune to a song that played on the radio. Raising an eyebrow, she let out a soft laugh at what she was seeing. Her dad was too immersed in the moment to notice her.

"You cooked," Hollis stated, unable to hide her surprise.

Grant turned around, spoon in hand. A smile spread across his face upon seeing her. "I didn't hear you come in." Excess sauce dripped from the spoon and onto the floor but he didn't notice.

"Yeah, well, you were too busy…whistling." She stepped further into the kitchen and gestured at the spoon. "And your dripping."

"Huh?" His eyes trailed to the spoon and the small puddle on the floor. "Oh, shoot." Grant placed the spoon on the counter and proceeded to wipe the floor. "Are you hungry?" He asked as he straightened out.

Before Hollis could answer, her stomach growled at the thought of food.

"I'll take that as a yes." Grant chuckled. "Sit." He piled on a plate of food and placed it on the counter.

Hollis sat down. She watched the steam waft into the air, bringing with it different scents. It all smelled and looked delicious.

"How was your first day?" He asked, sitting down across from her.

"It was good," she answered truthfully. It had gone better than she expected it to. "Dreading chemistry and math." Hollis wrinkled her nose at the thought of the two subjects. "But," she continued, "It was a good first day. And I stayed after with Lydia and Allison to watch lacrosse practice."

"Who's Allison?" Grant asked.

"Oh, she's new." Hollis went on to explain who Allison was, giving details on where she moved from, etc.

Dinner went by quickly. The two of them chatted about their day some more before they ate in a comfortable silence. The music continued to play through the speakers, which broke through the quiet in the room.

"When did you learn to cook? Last time I saw you, the only meals you ever prepared were takeout." Hollis asked as she collected her silverware and placed it on the empty plate in front of her.

He smiled at her remark. "It's something I picked up over the years," Grant explained. "I couldn't live off of takeout after I, you know," he said, waving his fork in the air.

The joyful mood vanished at the unfinished sentence that hung in the air. The topic of his leaving was one that didn't get brought up. When her dad returned after the accident, they had evaded the topic. Between the funerals and the grieving, there had been no right time to talk. As time passed, they were able to move to a new father/daughter relationship. It wasn't perfect but it was something. Hollis wanted to keep it that way but, deep down, she knew it was impossible for it to last.

Hollis averted his gaze. She didn't comment on his answer and, instead, pretended that she didn't hear it. When she couldn't bear the silence any longer, she stood up and gathered her dishes.

"I need to talk to you about something." Grant placed the dishes into the sink with a clatter.

She nodded. "Ok, what?"

"I'm starting my new job on Monday," he stated, looking at her expectantly.

A confused expression crossed her face. "OK," she said apprehensively, unsure of what he wanted her to say or how he expected her to react. She was about to ask him to explain but a thought dawned on her and she raised her eyebrow. "Wait, here? In Beacon Hills?"

Grant nodded happily. "Yeah, it's at the community college in Beacon County. The one your mom taught at." He waited for her to reply but, when the silence seemed to swallow them whole, he continued. "I'm taking over your mom's class. It would have been cut this year but I offered to take over. I think Addison would have wanted that. So, what do you think?"

"She would have loved that," she agreed, although she was still registering his words. "But what about Seattle?"

"What about it?" He asked.

"Well, your apartment and job are there. So…" She shrugged, letting him fill in the pieces.

"I quit that job when I came here and, the apartment's been on sale for weeks now."

"So, you're staying here? Like permanently?"

"Yeah, Hollis." He moved from around the counter, towards her. "Did you think I was going to leave?" he asked slowly.

She shrugged. "Honestly, I don't know," she said with a shake of her head. The topic, although it had crossed her mind some time ago, wasn't one that she dwelled on.

"I wouldn't just leave you here alone." A mixed look of surprise and hurt appeared on his face. He took a step closer to her but Hollis stepped back.

"No offence, but you've already done that. I mean, it's kind of your thing," Hollis stated as his words swam around in her head.

"Hollis…" he trailed off with a sigh. "That was different. When I left, I knew that you were going to be ok. Your mom was here to care for you but-"

"But now both my parents are dead," she said matter-of-factly. "So, what now? You're going to step up and take the role as my dad after six long years?" She questioned as anger fueled her. _So they_ were _going to have this conversation_ , she thought sourly. Shaking her head, she crossed her arms. All this rage that had been bottled up inside her seemed to rise to the top, making her a ticking time bomb. Hollis should have been happy to hear that her dad was here for her, that he wasn't going anywhere but she wasn't. Rather than happiness, she felt anger towards him. "You _don't_ get to do that. You don't get to just leave and then come back as if nothing happened."

The hurt on his face increased, although he nodded. "I can't tell you how sorry I am, sweetheart."

"Sorry doesn't really make it okay, _dad_." She felt the bitter sting of tears and angrily wiped at her eyes. "Would you have even come back if mom and Mark hadn't died? Or would you still be gone for another six years or more?"

Grant opened his mouth and closed it.

"That's what I thought," Hollis said bitterly. "Do what you want." She took a few steps back. "But I was fine without you for those years." She hated herself for causing him pain. Hollis knew he was trying to make amends and, deep down, she had started to forgive him but she couldn't bring herself to admit it. She lashed out on him instead, using all those years of pain and betrayal to hurt him back. Without another word, she grabbed her bag and ran up the stairs to her room.

 **[- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -]**

"He's really back for good?" Lydia asked, pressing a dress to her body as she stared into the full-length mirror.

Hollis flipped through a magazine absentmindedly. "Yeah, that's pretty much what he said. I mean, he starts a new job on Monday." With a sigh, she closed the magazine. The words and pictures blended together and started to make her head hurt.

"I'm not sure if it's the color or the style that I hate more." She turned from the mirror and dropped the dress onto the bed beside Hollis. "So, what did you say?"

She shrugged, her eyes taking in the dress that lay next to her. "It's a pretty color. But I think it's too spring." She looked up at her friend who was holding another dress in front of her. "I kind of told him I didn't want him around."

Lydia turned to look at Hollis with a look on her face.

She tilted her head to the side, closing her eyes. "I just...freaked out, ok? We avoided this for _months_ and now he just…he just brings it up casually like 'I got a new job' and thinks that I'll be okay with it. Like I can just ignore his absence for six years."

"I know he hurt you but he's still your dad," Lydia said, turning back to her reflection. "He came back for you."

"Seriously, Lyd?" Hollis sighed, shaking her head. "I thought you would be on my side with this."

"I _am_ on your side." She turned around and sat down next to her. "My parents divorced, remember? After my dad left, all I got from him was a birthday and Christmas card. Not exactly father of the year material."

"Well, at least you heard from him."

"True. But your dad didn't force you to decide who to live with. Mine did," she pointed out.

It wasn't the same and both girls knew it but it somehow made her feel a bit better.

Lydia smiled and placed her arm around her shoulders. "I'm not saying you should forgive him but try to give him a chance. I just don't want you to regret anything."

Hollis brushed a hand through her hair. "I guess. I just…I don't know." She sighed in frustration, leaning into Lydia. "Things finally felt like they were returning to normal, you know? Now it's like they're falling apart all over again."

"I know. It'll be OK," Lydia reassured her gently.

They sat like that for several minutes. The sound of the doorbell and feet padding up the stairs ended their moment. Seconds later, Allison poked her head into the room, a smile already plastered on her face.

"Sorry I'm late. My mom had twenty questions before I was able to leave the house," she said with a laugh. "Did I miss anything?" She asked, eyeing the piles of clothes.

It was Thursday afternoon and the three girls had agreed to meet at Lydia's after school. When Allison told them she would be going to the party after all, Lydia had insisted on meeting to discuss outfits.

The room looked like the closet had exploded, if exploding could be done in a tidy manner. Clothes were placed on each surface of the room and carefully arranged. Before Allison had arrived, the two of them had tried on dozens of outfits that had made it to the 'no' pile. Now that Hollis and Lydia's outfit was pretty much planned, it would be Allison's turn to pick something out. Lydia already had several articles of clothing that she deemed 'perfect' for the brunette.

Hollis sat on the bed and eyed her two friends. The first few minutes of Allison's arrival were filled with Lydia's fashion opinions. She stifled a laugh every time Lydia tried to force an article of clothing on Allison and watched with interest at the back and forth banter between them. She found it oddly entertaining, which got her several glares each time she laughed. When the battle of the clothes was over, Allison sat down next to her, clearly defeated and tired.

"So," Lydia began as she hung the unwanted clothes back in her closet. "Tell me again how it is that you're going to the party with _Scott_."

Hollis rolled her eyes. "Lydia."

"What?" she asked innocently. "I'm curious."

Although she had already briefed them on Scott asking her to the party, Allison delved into her account of the night before. Once she was done telling her story, a blush had crept onto her face.

Lydia shrugged. "I just don't get it. There are so many other guys you could have gone with."

"Well, I think it's great," Hollis told her honestly. She was happy that Allison had said 'yes' and that Scott had worked up the nerve to ask her out. She couldn't help but feel a little bit responsible for setting them up.

"Don't get me wrong," Lydia said with a shake of her head. "I'm happy for you, Allison. A little confused, but happy," she said, ignoring the look that Hollis threw her.

Allison smiled in response, glancing at the magazine Hollis had been reading earlier. She leafed through a few pages. "Are you sure it's ok that you're having the party here?" Allison questioned, briefly looking up from the article she was skimming.

Lydia nodded. "I always have the parties here."

"She's kind of the party queen," Hollis explained. "Everyone knows that Lydia throws the best parties around."

"That is true." Lydia closed the closet door and sat down between the two girls. "Are you going to be okay coming to the party, Hollis?"

"Yeah," Hollis answered. "I mean, Carter's right. I've locked myself away in my room all summer long and, I think it's time that I join the land of the living." She had told Allison the other day about the accident, knowing that she would have heard about it eventually. She was touched at the empathy that Allison had given her when she revealed the events of that night. "Besides, you two will be there." Hollis looked from one girl to the other with a small smile. "Anyway, it'll be fun. I'm kind of excited." Even as she said this, a pang of nerves hit her.

Lydia nudged Hollis with her elbow. "My parties are _always_ fun," she stated, a smile tugging at her lips.

"Leave it to you to be modest about something," Hollis joked, gently shoving her friend.

"So, are we all meeting for the scrimmage after class?" Allison asked, giving up on the magazine. She closed the glossy pages and placed it behind her.

Hollis and Lydia exchanged a look and nodded. "Yeah. I think you and Lydia have last period together so why don't we meet on the field?"

They all agreed, excited for the following day.


	5. Chapter 5

_Again, thank you so much for reading, favoriting, etc.!_ _So far, I got one review that made my day. Please keep them coming! I'd love to know what everyone thinks so far and hear whatever comments/criticisms you guys have._

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When the final bell rang, everyone rushed towards the door. Talk of the scrimmage and party after had filled the air with excitement. It was contagious and Hollis felt herself smiling. The anxiety faded away to but a small reminder in the back of her mind.

"Hollis!" She stopped mid-walk, turning in the direction of the voice. Seeing Mrs. Carrillo, Hollis crossed the hall and entered the classroom the young teacher disappeared into.

"I'm glad I caught you." Mrs. Carrillo leaned on the edge of the desk. "I've been looking over the recent submissions for the school's literary magazine and, I failed to see anything from you."

Hollis brushed a hand through her hair. "That's because I'm not going to submit anything."

"You were working on something last year. A short story, was it?"

"Yeah, well, a lot's happened since then." Playing with the strap of her bag, she looked down on the floor. "I _was_ going to send that but I never finished it. I don't think I can finish it."

"So, write something else," she suggested. "Take a recent experience and twist it, turn it into something unique." Mrs. Carrillo smoothed down the front of her skirt before continuing. "What about photography? I've seen some of your work and, honestly, it's great. Why not pair a picture with a short story?"

An uncertain smile appeared on her face. "I don't know. Honestly, I haven't written or photographed anything all summer. I don't even know where I would begin," she confessed with a sigh. "I guess…I don't think I'm ready for this. I'm not sure I even want it anymore."

Mrs. Carrillo surveyed her. "I'm going to be honest with you, Hollis." She rearranged a few papers and held them by her side. "You're a creative and passionate writer. It's one of the first things I noticed about you last year. The thing about writers is that they feed off of their experiences, good or bad. I know you've been through something unimaginable but I think you should use that to your advantage. Turn that into a work of fiction or non-fiction, use it for therapeutic reasons but write _something_." She stayed quiet, allowing Hollis to take in the words. After a couple seconds, she continued. "The same goes with photography. I don't know much about it but it's also a creative outlet, right?"

Hollis considered this for a moment. It _was_ a good idea. This could help her more than the psychiatrist sessions she's had over the course of the summer. She was sure that she could find an old picture and write a story around it. There were many directions she could go in but she was still hesitant. Somehow, this felt like another way of moving on with her life. She knew that she had to and that she wanted to but, at the same time, it scared her. "I don't know," she said when she looked up at her. "It sounds like a good idea but…" She trailed off, unsure of how to continue.

"I don't want you to miss out on this opportunity, Hollis, no matter how small it is." Mrs. Carrillo seemed unfazed by her answer and continued to make her case. "I want you to write something. Anything." She held up her hand, stopping Hollis from interrupting. "I'm not making this optional. By the end of next week, I want you to turn something in. It doesn't have to be for the magazine, if you don't want it to be. But I don't want to see you stop writing."

Mrs. Carrillo's words warmed her and she couldn't keep the smile from appearing on her face. "Alright. I can't promise anything but I'll try."

"Good. I'm glad to hear that." She seemed pleased by her answer and held out a piece of paper for Hollis to take. "Just in case you do want to enter it in the magazine."

Hollis took the application from her. The guidelines and submission form stared her in the face. She nodded, putting the paper in her bag. She also took this as her cue to leave. The scrimmage was probably well underway and, she wanted to catch some of it. Stopping at the door, she turned to look back at Mrs. Carrillo. "Thank you," she said.

 **[- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -]**

The cheers and jeers reached her ears before she stepped onto the field. The scrimmage had begun. Hollis quickened her pace and her eyes scanned the packed bleachers for her friends. She saw them sitting near the top between dozens of other students and knew that it would be impossible for her to get to them. Hollis could barely maneuver the hallways without getting bumped into or shoved. If she attempted to climb those bleachers, she would surely get hurt. With a sigh, she turned back towards the field. Again, she could only make out a few familiar players. Her eyes flitted across the field, resting on the sidelines. On the bench, she noticed an anxious Stiles whose main focus was the game.

Hollis walked over just as he stood up. "What did I miss?"

Her voice caused him to jump, arms flailing as he tried to maintain his balance. "Hollis! Hey!" He said with a nervous laugh.

"Sorry!" she laughed. "I didn't mean to scare you."

"Scared? Me? No." He shook his head. "Okay, maybe a little," he admitted sheepishly, his eyes going from her to the game. "But, to answer your question, Jackson's being Jackson. That's all that you really missed."

Rolling her eyes, she nodded. "What else is new?" Hollis looked over her shoulder to where Lydia and Allison sat. From where she stood, she was able to see the unsatisfied look on Lydia's face. Hollis shrugged helplessly, unaware that Stiles was looking at her.

"Why aren't you sitting with Lydia and Allison?"

"There's no way I'll be able to get through all those people," she said, motioning towards the packed stands. "I can try but it would end badly."

"You can sit here," he suggested. "I mean, you don't _have_ to but you can, you know, if you want."

A smile tugged at her lips before she spoke. "Okay, thanks." She glanced out onto the field to find Jackson looming over Scott. She rolled her eyes at the typical Jackson move. "Are you sure Coach won't mind?"

He shook his head in reply, casting a look towards Coach Finstock who waited for the team to gather. "This bench is pretty much reserved for me. Stiles: party of one for the next few years," he said with a small smile.

"Ok, stop." Hollis tilted her head to the side and shook her head. "You'll get to play this year, Stiles." Her tone was confident.

"Thanks for the confidence but Coach wouldn't put me in if all the players suddenly broke their legs."

Hollis was about to disagree with him but her attention was redirected towards the game. Everyone watched the improved performance of Scott as he charged across the field, past Jackson and all the defense players. His skills and reflexes were unbelievable, even more so than during practice. Watching him put Jackson in his place brought a smile to her face and, when he scored, she cheered along with everyone. She glanced at Stiles, surprised that he didn't crack a smile at how good his best friend was.

Coach's voice rang out and directed everyone's attention to him and Scott.

"You're starting, McCall. You just made first line," Coach said as cheers erupted.

Hollis smiled but the happiness she felt faded with one look at Stiles. "Ok, what's wrong?"

He shook his head. "Nothing. I'm just…surprised."

She didn't believe him for some reason. His best friend had just made first line, something he been striving for since he joined the team and, he didn't look one bit happy for him.

A small crowd gathered around Scott, slapping him on the back and congratulating him. The bleachers began to empty as everyone rushed to the field. She was about to move forward but someone called her name. Turning, she saw Carter followed by Lydia and Allison. The three reached Hollis and Carter stepped beside her, causing Stiles to take a few steps back.

"Sorry for being late. Mrs. Carrillo wanted to see me about something," Hollis explained. "But Stiles let me sit with him so at least I got to see some of the scrimmage."

Carter turned to Stiles, a strained smile on his face. "Your dad's a cop, right?"

"Sherriff, actually, but yeah."

Carter nodded, crossing his arms over his chest. "Any news on the murder?"

Stiles shook his head. "No. They're following a few leads but I think they're getting pretty close."

"Let's hope they're actually doing their job. We can't have a killer out there on the streets," Carter said.

"They're doing everything they can," Hollis interjected.

Carter looked at her then, an amused look on his face. "Really? How do you know?"

"Because they always do. This town's safe because of the work they do. I'm sure they're working overtime on this case."

"Well, that would be a first," Carter muttered. He noticed the annoyed look on Hollis's face before looking at Stiles. "Right, Sherriff for a dad. Sorry, I didn't mean it like that."

"No, I get it. It's…fine," Stiles said quietly, unconvincingly.

"So, are you coming to the party later?" Allison asked, breaking the awkward tension around them.

"Yeah, I'll be there. Can't wait," he said with a grin.

"Great. We'll see you there," Carter said dismissively.

He nodded a few times before he noticed Carter's intent stare. "Oh, right. I'm just going to, uh," he motioned towards the field where the crowd had swallowed Scott. "See you at the party." Without another word, Stiles walked away.

Hollis pressed her lips together. "Really? Did you have to treat him like that?"

Carter chuckled, shaking his head. "Like what, Hollis?"

"You were pretty mean," she stated. "Not to mention fake."

He rolled his eyes at her response. "Why do you care? It's not like he's your friend."

"He is my friend, Carter," Hollis told him.

"Since when?" He questioned, tilting his head to the side. "You've never talked or hung out with him so when did this friendship start?"

Hollis opened her mouth to reply but, realizing that he was right, closed it.

Carter look pleased with her answer then looked at everyone expectantly. "So, are we all ready to go?"

"Just as soon as Jackson gets here," Lydia answered, her eyes scanning the field.

There was no need to wait, though. With a scowl on his face, Jackson walked past them. "Are we going or what?" He asked, turning to look in their direction.

Hollis rolled her eyes at his typical mood but followed him along with her friends. The walk to the parking lot was silent. Jackson was seething about Scott outshining him so no one said a word, not even Hollis who felt like commenting on his sour mood.

Allison, who had kept quiet during their walk, spoke up. "Is it ok if I take you up on the offer of driving me home? My mom has the car today and, I'm kind of stranded here until she comes."

"Of course," she nodded her head. She pulled her keys out of her bag and started towards her car. "Come on."

 **[- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -]**

The drive to Allison's didn't take as long as she had anticipated. Although it was a bit out of the way, Hollis didn't mind. She rarely drove in this neighborhood and it was a nice change of scenery. She was in awe of the big houses that lined the streets with the neatly trimmed lawns and expensive cars in the driveways.

"It's that one, right there." Allison gestured to the house on their right.

She looked towards the house Allison pointed at and pulled into the drive.

"Thanks for the ride."

Hollis smiled in reply, resting her head on the seat. "Are you ok? You barely said a word the entire way here."

Tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, Allison nodded. "I'm just nervous," she admitted.

"About the party or going with Scott?" Hollis asked, turning to look at her.

"Both?" She said uncertainly with a shake of her head. "Trust me, I'm not always such a nervous mess," Allison said with a laugh.

"I'm nervous, too," she admitted. "I've literally locked myself away all summer and this will be the first time I'm actually going somewhere other than school." The anxiety that had been dormant all day returned. It wasn't a punch to the gut but it made itself present. She sighed, closing her eyes for a few seconds. Opening them, she shrugged. "But you don't have anything to be nervous about. Scott's a great guy and you'll have fun."

Allison relaxed some, nodding at her words. "You'll have fun, too. If anything, we'll find each other and hide somewhere," she joked. She pulled the door open and turned to Hollis before getting out. "I'll see you at the party." With a final wave, she closed the door.

Hollis pulled away from the house and drove in the direction of her home. With the music streaming through the speakers, she drowned out all the nerves and worries that filled her mind. Save for the music, the ride was peaceful. She managed to relax and, before she knew it, she pulled up in front of her house.

"Hollis? Is that you?" Grant asked as soon as the door closed behind her.

She ignored his call and hurried to the staircase. She climbed a few steps but they betrayed her by crying out.

"Hollis?" Grant called, his voice sounded louder this time. Nearby.

Rather than answer, she took a few more steps but they creaked again.

Her dad stepped from around the corner, looking up at her. "Didn't you hear me calling?"

Turning around, she kept one hand on the rail. "Yeah, I did." The two stared at each other before she shrugged, half expecting him to talk. "I'm kind of in a hurry. Did you need something?"

"I wanted to talk," he said. Noticing her impatient look, he let out a resigned sigh. "But it can wait, I guess."

"Great. Carter will be here soon so I should go get ready for the party."

Grant nodded and, before he could say anything else, Hollis climbed the rest of the way to her room. Closing the door behind her, she leaned against its hard surface. The fight from a couple days ago still hung in the air like a grim reminder. Grant had tried to smooth things out but Hollis was as stubborn as her mother. She didn't budge at his warm words and failed attempts at making peace.

She hated it; she hated fighting with him. What she hated the most was how their seemingly normal relationship had been destroyed by one mention of the past. Shaking her head, Hollis tried to rid her mind of it. Now wasn't the time for this. There was still the party tonight that seemed to weigh on her mind like a ton of bricks. Pushing herself away from the door, she walked towards her bed where the Lydia-approved outfit was laid out.

No sooner had she changed than the doorbell rung, reverberating throughout the house. Carter was early.

 _That's a first_ , Hollis thought.

She heard the door open seconds later and, the sound of her dad's and Carter's voice mixed together.

Descending the stairs, she saw them in the midst of a conversation. For some reason, this angered her. _They shouldn't be so comfortable,_ she thought. Clearing her throat, she stepped up beside Carter and placed her hand on the door. "Ready to go?"


	6. Chapter 6

Lydia's house came into view and, the sound of music reached their ears as they pulled up into the first available space. It looked like more than half the school was there with more arriving each second. When the engine turned off, Hollis sat there, almost frozen. Again, the nerves seemed to pulsate inside her. Her eyes looked out the window, watching as teenagers poured out of cars and made their way towards the house.

 _One in, one out_ , she repeated in her head just as her door was pulled open. A sudden rush of cool air hit her.

She stepped out and Carter pulled her to him. His arms wrapped around her and she felt herself smiling.

"I'm glad you decided to come," he said.

Hollis nodded. "Me, too." She sounded confident although there was a trace of uncertainty inside of her.

Before she could dwell on that, he put his lips against hers. The kiss was so familiar and comforting that she forgot all about her nerves and about how he acted after the scrimmage. After a few seconds, she smiled against the kiss and reluctantly pulled back. "We should probably go in," she said, looking up at him.

"Yeah." He put his arm around her shoulders and led the rest of the way to Lydia's house.

The music pulsated inside. Most of the teens were drunk or halfway there and everyone seemed to be having the time of their lives. People stumbled past them, drinks sloshing out of cups as they went to get another refill.

"I'm going to find Lydia and Allison," Hollis yelled above the music.

She stepped through the house and out to the back where even more people were gathered. Her eyes scanned the faces of people dancing and drinking but she was unable to find them. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of Scott who stood off to the side alone. Allison couldn't be too far behind.

"Hey," she said as she stood beside him. "Where's Allison?"

Scott turned his gaze away from the pool, focusing his attention on her. "Oh, hey." He looked surprised to see her but smiled. "I think she stepped inside for a minute."

Hollis nodded slowly and let her eyes trail over the ongoing party. A realization dawned on her and she turned her attention back to him. "Oh, congrats on making first line!" She exclaimed happily.

He grinned at her words. "Thanks. Yeah, it's - it's great." Scott looked past her and, his smile faltered. He stayed quiet for a few seconds, allowing the music to envelope them. When he spoke, Hollis could barely make out what he said. "He thinks I'm taking steroids or something."

"What?" She followed his gaze to where Jackson and Lydia stood. Hollis knew that Scott had meant Jackson. Annoyance and anger flooded her. "Did he actually say that?" She asked in disbelief, turning her head to look at him.

Scott nodded.

"Scott…" she trailed off, shaking her head. The anger swelled up inside her, threatening to spill over. But rather than act on her anger, she took a few seconds to compose herself. "Ignore him," she said. "You deserve this. Don't let him ruin it for you."

"Don't let who ruin what?" Allison stepped up beside them. She looked from one to the other, trying to get insight on what was going on.

"Jackson." Hollis rolled her eyes. As much as she wanted to complain about Jackson, she knew that now wasn't the time or place. She didn't want to ruin the mood of the night. "Never mind," she said, giving Allison a smile. "Are you having fun?"

"Yeah. I wasn't expecting this party to be so big, though," Allison answered truthfully. "Have you talked with Lydia at all?"

"I was going to say 'hi' but I don't want to interrupt...that," she said, motioning over to the couple where another round of PDA took place.

Allison laughed but agreed. "Oh, I ran into Carter inside. He was looking for you."

"I told him where I was going," she said with a sigh. "I guess I'll go see what he wants. Have fun you two."

She made her way inside to find the place packed with people and, the music was considerably louder. The walk across the room was almost maze-like. Every simple move was harder to make with the ever-growing amount of teenagers dancing, stumbling and walking. When she made it to the other side, Hollis's search for Carter came to an end. He sat with a group of friends in the corner of the room. Hollis recognized the four boys from the basketball team and guessed that the giggling girls were their girlfriends.

Hollis had the sudden urge to turn and head back outside. The seconds ticked by while she stood there contemplating her next move. Just before she could move a muscle, she was discovered.

"Holly!" A blonde girl waved to her.

"It's Holl _is_ ," a girl whispered, correcting her friend.

"Oh, oops," the blonde said and went into a fit of giggles

Nine pairs of eyes met hers, including Carter's. Walking away was no longer an option. She mentally kicked herself for taking so long to decide. She made her way over to the group, a strained smile plastered across her face.

"Did you find them?" Carter asked above the noise.

Hollis nodded. "Yeah they're out back. I left Allison with Scott. Lydia and Jackson are out there, too, but I didn't talk to them."

Carter's hand reached for hers and pulled her down next to him. She sunk into the sofa, wishing she had said that she was still looking for them.

He handed her a drink in a plastic cup but she shook her head. "Thanks, but I'm not drinking." A few quizzical looks were thrown her way, as if not drinking was preposterous.

Hollis looked around the group. Each person nursed a drink and from the slight slurring of words and uncontrollable laughter at nothing in particular, she guessed that they each already had their share of alcohol. She turned to Carter who was somehow sober. Either he had very little to drink or his tolerance was high.

The conversation the group had been having picked up almost immediately. Hollis listened to the mindless chatter of sports and fashion. The longer she sat there, the slower that time appeared to go by. For the most part, she remained quiet but spoke up when a question or comment was directed at her.

When she couldn't take anymore, she stood up and excused herself.

She stopped in the kitchen, happy to see that it was less crowded than other parts of the house. Leaning against the counter, she took a few deep breaths. Hollis wasn't claustrophobic but lately the inability to breathe when she was nervous or around large groups took a toll on her. It felt as if the panic attacks were strengthening as of late and, she fought for control. _One in, one out_ she repeated in her head until the stuffy air entered into her lungs with ease.

A few minutes passed before she saw Carter emerge from the crowd. He stood by her side and looked down at her with a questioning expression.

"Are you coming back?" He asked, indicating the space his friends occupied.

"No, I don't think so." She shook her head, staring down at her hands.

"So you're just going to stand here by yourself? That doesn't sound like fun."

"Yeah, well, neither does watching you and your friends get wasted." She instantly regretted the words. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath and let it out. "I didn't mean it like that. I just meant that being the only sober one in the group isn't much fun."

"So drink something," He answered. "Come on, live a little, Hollis. It's a party! It won't kill you to let loose for once in your life."

Hollis shook her head at his words. "I don't need to drink to have fun," she answered. "And I can't let loose. I've tried but it's easier said than done."

Crossing his arms, he shook his head. "Are you still mad about what I said to Stiles?"

"No. I mean, you weren't exactly nice but that's not it. It's…." She sighed.

"Oh, come on, don't tell me that you're still -"

Hollis raised her eyebrows. "Grieving? Well, I am." She looked up at the boy she had fallen for in middle school, the boy who had made her feel special since their first date. She couldn't believe that he didn't understand. "There aren't any guidelines on how long a person should grieve for, Carter. I thought that _you_ of all people would understand."

"Why? Because I lost my dad when I was seven?" He asked in disbelief, shaking his head.

"Well, yeah." A silence passed between them. Hollis hoped that he would say that he did understand, that he would comfort her like he had when she first lost her parents. But those words of understanding didn't pass his lips.

"I know you're hurting, but-"

Again, she interrupted him. "But what? Is it inconvenient for you, Carter? Is that it? Is the death of my parents getting in the way of your social life?" The guilt she had felt vanished. Now she felt hurt and angry at his unjust reaction.

He looked at her hard and ran a hand through his hair. "Yeah, it is," he answered bluntly. "I've put up with this for months and now when I thought that we could go out and have fun…." Carter left the sentence unfinished. He stared down at her, his expression softening. "Look, I _do_ understand, Hollis. But I just wish we could get on with our lives, leave what happened in June behind."

Hollis didn't hear his attempt at an apology or explanation because all she heard was the unfinished sentence. "Put up?" A pained looked crossed her face as she looked up at him. "Wow, Carter, I didn't know I was such a burden."

"Hollis, I'm sorry." He sighed, shamefaced.

Hollis crossed her arms. "Carter...just don't," she said slowly. She took a step back from him, fighting against the tears that blurred her vision.

Carter reached out for her but, when she pulled back from him, he dropped his arm. "I didn't mean any of that."

"You sounded pretty convincing to me," she retorted. His eyes pleaded with her but Hollis was too stubborn and hurt to just forgive and forget. "You know what? Just forget it, Carter. Go back to your drinking buddies."

With that, she turned around and started to walk away from him.

"Where are you going, Hollis?" He asked, his voice carrying through the noise.

She glanced over her shoulder and kept her face neutral. "Don't worry about it."


	7. Chapter 7

_Thank you to everyone who's followed, favorited and reviewed! It honestly means so much to see that you guys like it :) Here's another two chapters. Enjoy!_

* * *

Lowering herself onto the porch steps, Hollis breathed in the cool night air. It felt nice to get out of the stuffy, overcrowded interior. She didn't want to think about the hurtful words that Carter had said, the words that had left a scar on her heart. But that's exactly what crossed her mind. She blinked back the tears that she had held in but a few spilled out and ran down her face. Hollis wiped them away with her hand as she let out a shaky breath.

She wrapped her arms around her legs and placed her head on her knees. Closing her eyes, she listened to the rhythmic beat of the music indoors. _We can't rewind now; we've gone too far_ she sung in her head along to the song that played inside. As she went through the lyrics, the troublesome thoughts slowly left her mind.

The volume of the party increased as the door behind her opened. The song blended in with the voices and laughter of everyone inside. She lost the next song that started but she didn't bother straining to hear what it was.

The presence of someone standing next to her caused her to open her eyes and glance up. Her eyes met the face of Stiles, who shifted his weight from one foot to the other. She offered him a smile, which seemed to ease the nervousness he felt.

"I wanted to see if you were ok," he started. Upon seeing the confused look on her face, Stiles continued. "I heard your fight with Carter. I mean, I didn't _hear_ it since I was across the room but I, you know, saw it." His arms, which had been moving the entire time he spoke, were now shoved into his pockets. "So, are you ok? You looked upset. You still do." Genuine concern crossed his face as he stared down at her.

Hollis lifted her head off of her knees and nodded. "Yea, I'm ok. Thanks, Stiles."

As he nodded to her reply, she slid over on the stairs to make room for him. Noticing this, he sat down beside her. "So, why aren't you inside?"

"I'm avoiding Carter. He's in there and I can't see him right now," Hollis answered. "But to be honest, coming to the party was kind of a mistake. I wasn't ready for all this."

"I get it," Stiles said.

Hollis looked towards him, surprised. "You do?"

"Yeah. When I lost my mom, it was hard leaving the house and, I used to get these panic attacks after," he admitted somewhat sheepishly.

"I wish I'd known that. I'm sorry," Hollis said gently. She played with her necklace, contemplating her next words. "I get them, too. The panic attacks, I mean." She raised her eyes to his but he stayed quiet and waited for her to continue. "They started when my dad left and my stepdad taught me these breathing techniques. It helped but, lately…" She shrugged and shook her head. "I don't know, they just seem to happen more. They're harder to control."

Hollis never spoke of her panic attacks. She liked to keep them to herself, away from the judgment of others. But she felt ok telling Stiles about them. She knew that he would understand, that he wouldn't judge her or brush it off like several people did.

"I've had bad ones," Stiles told honestly. "They suck."

She nodded in agreement. "Other than the panic attacks, I just don't seem to be able to have fun anymore. I go out sometimes but right when I start to enjoy myself I feel…" she shrugged, unsure of how to describe it.

"Guilty?" Stiles asked, saying the word that had been at the tip of her tongue.

Turning her attention back to him, she nodded.

"Like you can't have fun because they're not around anymore. As if moving on with your life is like you're forgetting them and that's not right."

Hollis stared at him in awe. Stiles had just voiced everything that she had been thinking and feeling. He understood what it was like and she was shocked.

Stiles caught her staring and looked around him. "What? What's wrong?" His hands moved to his face. "Do I have something on my face?" He asked, swatting at nothing.

She smiled. "No. It's just that it's weird for someone else to get all this." Although both Lydia and Allison were there for her, they didn't _understand_ what any of it was like. "But weird in a nice way," she added. Hollis stayed quiet for a few seconds, allowing the music and noise to surround them. Finally, she voiced the one question that had been nagging at her. "How did you move on?"

"It was mainly my dad." He nodded. "And Scott. They both helped a lot." Absentmindedly, he scratched at the back of his neck. "They were there for me. They helped me through the hardest parts." He glanced at her. "But you have that, right? Lydia, Carter and your dad are there for you."

Slowly, she nodded as she let out a soft sigh. "Yeah, I do," she answered with a smile. It was much more complicated than that, though, but it was something she didn't want to get into at the moment. Out of the three people he mentioned, Lydia had been her rock through it all. She couldn't deny her dad being there for her but, because things were so shaky with them since their fight, it was hard to include him in that. And Carter? He was another story entirely.

"Sorry for unloading all my problems on you," Hollis told him. "Guess you didn't know what you were signing up for when you asked if I was ok," she said with a light laugh.

"I don't mind," Stiles said truthfully. "You know, if you ever need to talk, I'm here."

At his words, a smile tugged at her lips. Hollis didn't have many people that she could talk to about all this. Lydia always listened but she didn't understand everything. She understood the situation with her dad but the physical loss of her parents and panic attacks were things that she couldn't wrap her mind around. Hollis couldn't explain how great it was for someone to _finally_ understand. "The same goes for you. I'm here." She paused. "And I'm sorry about before. You know, with Carter at the scrimmage."

Stiles looked surprised. "Don't. Anyway, you don't have anything to be sorry for."

"Actually, I do. It was something else that he said…after you left."

He furrowed his brow. "What?"

Hollis looked down and away from him. "He pointed out that we were never friends." She shrugged, avoiding his gaze. "We've known each other since like kindergarten but it took us so long to talk. I don't know, I guess I just feel like a horrible person for…"

"For what?" Stiles wore a quizzical look, searching her face for answers. "We hung out with different people, Hollis. That doesn't make you a terrible person," he reasoned. "Besides, it's not like you hated me. Well, unless you're the person I pranked in second grade. Then I wouldn't blame you for hating me. Wait...it wasn't you, was it?" He looked at her wide-eyed.

She shook her head. "No, that wasn't me. But I do remember that. It had something to do with glitter and glue, right?" She relaxed and let out a breath. "But I guess you're right. At least we're talking now."

"Better late than never." Stiles grinned.

Without realizing it, Hollis shivered. The chilly air had felt so good at first that she didn't know when it started to seep into her skin and down to her bones. She rubbed her arms to warm them up while staring straight ahead at the typically quiet street that now resembled a small parking lot.

"You're cold," Stiles said, noticing the second shiver that passed through her. Without waiting for her to reply, he pulled his jacket off and held it out for her to take.

She tilted her head to the side as her eyes went from him to the jacket. She wanted to protest but his words had made her realize that she was cold.

"Thanks." She slipped it on and snuggled into the still-warm material that was much too big on her small frame. It felt nice, though and she could feel her skin starting to thaw.

Her head resting on the railing, she stared in his direction. Her cold hands found the pockets and she slipped them in. The crinkling of a wrapper captured her attention. Wrapping her hand around the rectangular object, she pulled it out.

"Awesome!" She said with a laugh, staring at the Reece's in her hand.

Stiles noticed what she found and smiled. "You can have it," he told her with a definite nod. "You know, if you want."

"Let's split it," she suggested. When he didn't answer, Hollis opened one side of the orange wrapper. The smell of peanut butter and chocolate wafted into the air immediately. She held the opened contents to him. He pulled one of the two Reece's Peanut Butter cups out and, Hollis took the second one. Her smile grew as her guilty pleasure stared her in the face. Peeling back the brown wrapper, she took the first bite of the candy. "For my birthday," Hollis said as she chewed, "I want a big bag of these. No cake, no presents, just Reece's."

Stiles raised an eyebrow. "What about a Reece's cake?" He suggested.

"Yes!" She beamed at the thought. "That I would want. Or a Reece's…"

"Ice cream cake?" Stiles finished with a smile.

Hollis nodded approvingly. "A land of Reece's. Now _that_ would be great," she stated.

They finished off their candy in silence. Once done, Hollis turned her body so that she could face Stiles. As she did, her head collided with the railing and a shot of pain broke out. "Crap," she said, rubbing the sore spot with her hand. She glanced over at Stiles who covered up a chuckle with an unconvincing cough.

"You ok?" He asked, trying to keep a straight face.

Narrowing her eyes at him, she nodded. "Fantastic," she said sarcastically. Hollis lowered her hand although her head still throbbed. "Do you mind if I ask you a question?"

"Yes," he said with a nod. His eyes went wide before he shook his head. "I meant, no. I don't...mind. Ask away."

"What's up with the weird reaction you had to Scott getting first line?" She noticed the surprised look on his face but she continued. "I know you're not jealous. You just looked…worried. Why?"

Stiles looked away from her and drummed his fingers on the stairs. "He's my friend," he said and shrugged. He looked lost in thought, as if trying to come up with a reasonable explanation. Before he could say more, the door behind them opened and Scott ran out. "Scott? You ok?" Stiles questioned as Scott ran past them. "Scott!"

They exchanged a quizzical look before Stiles jumped to his feet and ran after his friend.

Standing up, she rested her hand on the railing. A dark haired girl appeared near the street, one that Hollis instantly recognized. "Allison!" She called but it was too loud for her voice to carry over the surrounding noise. Hollis watched her talk to someone who looked vaguely familiar. Dialing her number, she pressed the phone to her ear. 'Hey, it's Allison. Leave a message.' She tried calling again but was greeted with the voice mail a second time. She looked up in time to see the car disappear down the road with Allison inside.

"Did you talk to him?" Hollis asked when she reached Stiles.

He threw his hands up in the air and shook his head. "He drove off before I could catch him." A worried expression crossed his face, similar to the one she wore.

"Allison left, too." Hollis glanced in the direction the dark car had driven off in.

"Come on," Stiles said determinedly. Without another word, he walked over to his blue Jeep and got in.

Hollis followed, sliding into the passenger seat just as he pulled away from the house. She looked out the window, watching houses and trees go by in a dark blur. Hollis tried Allison's phone again but only got her voicemail. Sighing in frustration, she crossed her arms.

"What's going on, Stiles?" She fixed her gaze on him.

"I don't know. I'm just as confused as you are."

The minutes went by in a blur, just like the scenery outside. They stayed quiet but the ringing of her phone broke the silence. Quickly, she stared down at the screen only to frown at the name. Carter. The ringing sounded a few more times and she heard Stiles ask, "You gonna get that?"

Hollis hesitated before she hit 'decline'. "No," answered.

Stiles looked like he wanted to question the unanswered call but decided against it. Instead, he kept his eyes on her, drumming his fingers on the steering wheel. "Looks like Scott's home."

Hollis turned to the window to see Scott's car parked outside with the lights on inside the house.

Stiles pulled over and climbed out. "I'll check on him. Try to see if you can reach Allison again." Without giving her a chance to reply, he ran up to the house and disappeared inside.

Hollis tried to reach Allison but, after getting her voicemail again and again, she gave up. Frustrated, she closed her eyes and rested her head against the seat. She didn't know how long she sat like that. When she opened her eyes, she saw Stiles making his way towards the car.

"How's Scott?" She asked once he shut the car door.

"Fine. He's fine." Stiles sounded preoccupied as he pulled out onto the road. "I think he caught a bug or something. He'll be ok by morning" He paused. "He wants us to check on Allison," he added, staring straight ahead. "But if Scott drove Allison to the party, who did she leave with?"

It was a good question. It took her a couple seconds before the name slipped into her mind. She wasn't positive so she spoke tentatively. "I think it was Derek."

"Derek? As in Derek Hale? Whose family burned in the fire a few years back Derek Hale?"

"Yeah."

Stiles took his attention off the road and stared at her, a mixture of shock and fright in his eyes. In the few seconds that his attention was focused on her, the car swerved somewhat violently to the opposite lane.

"Stiles!" Panicked, her hands reached for the steering wheel but the seatbelt held her back and her fingers barely grazed the wheel before she was thrust back against the seat.

As quickly as it happened, it was over. Stiles had regained control of the car and, they were no longer in the opposing lane. Still, her heart was in her throat.

"Crap, sorry." Stiles looked over to see that the color had left her face. "Hey, Hollis? You ok?"

She didn't reply. Instead, she focused on her lungs, which felt as if they had shrunk to half their size. The shuddering breaths she took only allowed for a small amount of air to pass through to her lungs. But it wasn't enough. A new panic took over, leaving her trembling and gasping for breath. She clawed at her seatbelt, which felt as if it was cutting off her ability to breath and move. Hollis tried counting her breaths but that didn't seem to help. Her vision became clouded; the walls of the car seemed to close in around her and her ears rang. Hollis barely heard Stiles' muffled voice.

"I can't – I can't breath," Hollis managed to get out, shaking her head. Her vision swam and tiny dots appeared before her eyes. She closed her eyes but that only managed to make the dizziness worse.

Stiles hastily pulled over, ignoring the angry driver behind them. He grabbed onto her arms, gently turning her to face him. "Hollis," he said. "Just listen to my voice. You're going to be okay." He tried to keep the panic out of his own voice but there was small quiver to it. His hands slid down her arms to her hands. "Take a deep breath. You can do this." He sounded more confident than he felt and his face betrayed that pseudo confidence. He continued to repeat his words loudly yet gently.

One in, one out, one in, one out, she repeated in her mind.

Her breath was shaky. After a few failed attempts, she managed to get a good lungful of air in.

"That's it, Hollis. You're doing great. You'll be fine. Just breathe."

When her breathing slowed to a somewhat regular rhythm, Hollis opened her eyes to see his stricken face. Exhausted, she leaned her head against the seat. Her heart still beat rapidly but, now that the worst was over, it slowed down some.

"Are you ok?" Stiles asked shakily.

Hollis nodded with a weak yet reassuring smile. "Yeah, I think so."

He let out a sigh of relief. "Ok, good."

"Thank you," she said earnestly. "For helping me."

He smiled in reply, studying her. "You scared the crap out of me," he admitted after a pause. His smile faltered as he banged his head against the seat. "It was my fault. I'm sorry. It was stupid, I – I should have been paying more attention to the road." He shook his head angrily. "I'm sorry, Hollis."

"No, it's not your fault."

"Yeah it is," he insisted. "I should've watched the road. Especially after...what you've been through." He sighed in frustration. "I don't want you going through something like that again."

"That's sweet, Stiles." Hollis paused, touched by his words. "But you can't control these things. And you did nothing wrong. The car swerved but I just overreacted. I get panicky in cars since the accident so this honestly isn't your fault."

Stiles took in her words but the guilt still showed on his face. "Still. If I hadn't taken my eyes off the road," he started but left the sentence unfinished.

"Usually I can control them but I couldn't. Honestly, Stiles, if it hadn't been for you...You helped me more than anyone else ever could."

He seemed to accept this. "I'm glad you're okay," Stiles said, giving her hands a squeeze.

Hollis replied with a smile, looking down at their clasped hands.

Stiles followed her gaze and quickly disentangled their hands. Color rose to his face and he cleared his throat.

"Did you know that Derek was back in town? You were surprised when I mentioned him."

Stiles fell quiet. He opened his mouth to reply but closed it a moment later. "Scott and I ran into him the other day in the woods." Noticing her curious look, he sighed. "It's a long story. I was just surprised that he was at the party. And that Allison left with him."

Although curious, Hollis didn't press him for details. Instead, she leaned her head back and looked up at the roof of the car. "Why would he come back after all those years? After everything that happened?" She shook her head. "This place is just one big reminder. I can't imagine living through something like that."

Stiles shot her a questioning look. "But you…." He trailed off.

"Yeah, I know. But that's different. His family was murdered. Someone torched his house and killed everyone in it. My parents died in an accident." She stayed quiet with her thoughts running through her mind. It was one of the first times she had said those words aloud. They left a horrible aftertaste in her mouth. With a quiet sigh, she shrugged. "Think we should go check on Allison now?"

"Oh, yeah. Definitely." Stiles nodded vigorously as he placed his hands on the steering wheel. With a look her way, he frowned. "Are you okay if we, you know, drive? Because we can stay here until you're ready. And I might have more Reece's in the car…somewhere."

Hollis stifled a laugh as she nodded. "As tempting as that sounds, I'm okay. I promise," she said. "But, thanks."

As the car pulled away from the side of the road, Hollis gave Stiles directions to Allison's house. With the roads empty, the drive didn't take long. Soon, they entered Allison's neighborhood. Lifting her head off the seat, she scanned the big houses for the Argent residence. "It's that one." She pointed out just as he screeched to a halt.

Leaving the car idling, Stiles jumped out followed by Hollis. They walked towards the darkened house and stopped on the steps. Her eyes flickered to the driveway where two cars were parked. _They have to be home_ , she thought as Stiles rang the doorbell.

They waited for a few seconds before he pounded on the door with his fist. There was still no movement inside the house. He lifted his hand to hit the door some more but Hollis quickly grabbed his arm.

"We want them to open the door, not give them a heart attack," she said with a smile. "Let's just give them some time. I mean, it's late. They could be sleeping."

Stiles nodded with a sheepish look. "Right, right." His hand went to the back of his neck absentmindedly as he continued to nod.

The seconds ticked by and, they both began to suspect that no one would answer. With a chagrined look, Hollis sighed. The moment that she opened her mouth to suggest they give up, the door opened.

Light spilled out of the house, blinding them both as they squinted at Mrs. Argent. She was an intimidating looking woman but she wore a confused expression as she looked from Hollis to Stiles.

Hollis opened her mouth to speak but Stiles beat her to it.

"Hi. We're friends of Allison's and this is going to sound kind of crazy. Actually really crazy. Actually crazy doesn't even begin to—"

Much to Hollis' relief, Mrs. Argent cut him off. "Allison? It's for you!" She called back into the house.

Hollis and Stiles share a confused look when Allison appeared on the second floor landing. But, seeing that her friend was safe, she let out an internal sigh of relief.

"What's up?" Allison asked once she made her way down the steps.

"We were worried about you," Hollis told her. "I tried calling a few times but I kept getting your voicemail."

"My phone died, sorry," she explained. "Thanks for checking on me, though." Allison smiled and turned to Hollis. "Anyway, I'm glad you're here. Do you want to come in? I mean, can you? I could use a friend right about now."

"Yeah, of course." She threw Stiles a guilty look.

"It's fine, Hollis. Go." He grinned. "I should get home, anyway. My dad's probably wondering where I am and, I should go." With a wave to Allison, he started back towards his Jeep.

"Stiles, wait!" Hollis ran after him. "Here's your jacket. Thanks for the loan and everything else." She slipped it off and handed it to him. "Text me when you get home, ok?"

He nodded and, with a smile, walked the rest of the way to his car.


	8. Chapter 8

Hollis stepped out of the bathroom wearing a borrowed top and pajama bottoms from Allison. She plopped down on the bed beside her and sighed. The strange events of that night had exhausted her yet she felt wide-awake. With a tired smile, she took the cup of hot tea off the nightstand and brought it to her lips, taking a tentative sip. She leaned back against the pillows and turned to look at Allison, who had on a troubled expression. They hadn't spoken of the party since she had stepped into the Argent's house. But she could see the worry, confusion and hurt on her face.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Hollis asked gently.

Allison sighed and shrugged. "Kind of? I don't know. I still have no idea what actually happened."

"Ali, I've known Scott since like kindergarten. He's a good guy. And all he talked about was going to the party with you."

"So, why did he leave me stranded there?" She questioned, shooting a pained look towards Hollis.

"I don't know." She shrugged. "Stiles and I went to check on him before coming here. Scott told him that he wasn't feeling well. Caught a bug or something," she said, echoing Stiles' words. Even as she said them, she doubted them. If Scott had really been sick, why hadn't he asked for help? Or why didn't he ask someone to drive him home? Hollis didn't want to seem uncertain in front of Allison so she pushed those doubts out of her head. "Trust me, he wouldn't just leave if he didn't have a good reason."

Allison's face was hard to read. "I guess." She didn't sound convinced and, Hollis couldn't blame her. "But at least he had Derek take me home," she added, directing a small smile in her direction. "What do you know about him? Derek, I mean. He seemed…mysterious."

"Not much," she answered truthfully. "Just that he's a few years older than us and he's had a hard life. His entire family burned to death ten years ago. Someone set fire to his house. He was in class when it happened, I think, or at least that's what everyone's saying. He left Beacon Hills a while back but I guess he's back in town."

"Wow, that's terrible," Allison whispered. "Do they know who did it?"

"I don't think so," Hollis told her with a shake of her head.

They stayed quiet then, mulling things over. Hollis could see that Allison was still stressing over Scott; she wished that she could reassure her that everything would be okay, that Scott's leaving the party was just a misunderstanding. But she couldn't. Not only did she not understand most of it herself but, she knew that it had to be Scott to do the reassuring.

"What happened with you and Carter?" Allison asked, breaking through her thoughts. "You came to the party with him but then you showed up with Stiles…wearing his jacket."

"There's not much to tell," she told her with a shrug. She took a strand of hair between her fingers and absentmindedly played with it. "But remember how I said that I would be ok at the party? Well, I wasn't," Hollis admitted with a sigh. "Carter and I had a fight...again. I don't want to talk about that right now." She shook her head as his words swam through her mind. Shaking them, she continued. "Anyway, Stiles found me outside and we just talked. I got cold so he lent me his jacket," she said casually. "And then when we saw Scott and you leave, we decided to check on you guys to make sure you were okay. And that's all there is to it."

Allison nodded, a smile playing on her lips. "Sounds like both our nights didn't turn out as planned."

Hollis laughed and nodded in agreement. "I think Lydia and Jackson are the only ones who had a normal night."

The screen of Hollis' phone lit up just then and both girls looked down. Hollis went to reach for it but Allison was faster. "And speaking of the guy who's jacket you wore," she teased.

Rolling her eyes, she took her phone from her hand. "I asked him to text me. It's been a crazy night," she explained as her eyes scanned the message. "I wanted to make sure he got home ok."

"Whatever you say, Hollis" she said.

Hollis shook her head at her friends' remark while she typed up a reply and hit send.

The conversation took a turn away from the party, Scott and Stiles. Internally, both girls were grateful for the change in topic. Sprawled out on the bed, they stayed up for the better part of the hour talking. Eventually, exhaustion started to take effect. Her eyes dropped and it wasn't long before they had fallen asleep.

 **[- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -]**

The weekend had passed quickly. Lydia joined them at Allison's early Saturday morning and they spent the next two days binge watching old movies while eating takeout and junk food.

Hollis had left Allison's late Sunday night, arriving just after her dad had fallen asleep. She woke up bright and early the next morning, eager to get a head start on her day and avoid her dad in the process.

Phone and keys in hand, Hollis made her way towards the front door. The house was still, the only sound being her footsteps on the hardwood floor. But as she pulled the door open and was greeted by a blast of cool morning air, she heard the distinct sound of floorboards creaking upstairs. If she was fast enough, she could still get out. Rather than take action, Hollis stood still, contemplating her next move and was soon greeted by her dad's voice.

"Hollis?" Grant descended the stairs and stopped a few feet behind her.

Without turning around, she greeted him dryly. "Hey, dad."

"I'm driving you to school. Are you ready?"

Hollis turned her body so that she was facing him. "What? No." She shook her head. "I mean, I'm ready but you don't have to do that."

"I know I don't, but I'm still taking you." He ignored the peeved look on her face and moved towards the door. "We need to talk."

"Now?" She questioned. "Can't it wait? Besides, don't you have to get to work?"

Grant nodded. "I don't have to be there until eleven. And I wanted to talk this weekend but you spent it with your friends." He stopped at the door and turned to look at her. "So, yeah, we need to talk now."

Hollis stared after him as he walked to his car. She let out a frustrated sigh, knowing that she couldn't get out of this talk. Closing the door behind her, she grudgingly followed him and settled into the passenger seat.

Minutes passed by in silence. Her dad had yet to utter a word and, she prayed that he wouldn't. But, when they neared a red light and slowed to a stop, he turned to look at her.

"You need to stop hating me, Hollis," Grant said. He looked defeated, like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders. In a way, he did. Clearing his throat, he kept his gaze fixed on her. "I know I made a huge mistake –"

"A mistake?" Hollis asked, cutting him off. "Misspelling a word is a mistake, dad. You left. That wasn't a mistake. You chose to leave. You packed up and you left your family behind for who knows what." Her words cut the air like a knife but she wasn't done yet. "You left your ten year old daughter wondering what she did wrong for six years. No matter how many times you say that you're sorry, it's not going to make it ok. You can't just come back and hope to pick up where you left off."

"I get it, Hollis!" Grant yelled, surprising them both. After a silent staring contest, Grant looked away. The light turned green and the car started to move but they remained quiet. After a long moment, he spoke. "I get that you're mad and upset. But you're right, I screwed up," he admitted with a slow nod. "I'm trying to make it up to you, to make things right again. We need to get past this."

With a roll of her eyes, she shook her head. The prickling of tears in her eyes frustrated her. All those years of pretending to be ok, of accepting that her dad had left came flooding back in just a few minutes. It had been building up since her dad returned but now that they were talking, it was like someone uncapped the bottle that held all those emotions inside. More than anything, Hollis wanted to fix this. She wanted a normal father/daughter relationship but too much damage had already been done. "Some things you just can't fix," she whispered. A tear rolled down her cheek, which she quickly wiped away.

"But you can try," he said just as quietly. "That's all I want, Hollis. To try."

To try. They were such simple words yet they packed a full punch. Hollis closed her eyes. A few more tears escaped but she didn't bother wiping them. She thought over what he had said. She could feel her dad looking at her, willing her to speak but she didn't know what she could say. Instead, she shook her head and kept her attention on the road, letting the remainder of tears spill down her cheeks.

The rest of the drive to school was quiet. Neither of them spoke nor pressured the other to talk. It was when the car came to a stop that Hollis looked up. She unbuckled her seatbelt but remained sitting, her eyes fixed on the school building.

Slowly, Hollis nodded. "Ok."

Grant turned to her, raising an eyebrow. "Ok what?"

"I'll try." She looked over at her dad before she continued. "Mom always said that everyone deserves a second chance. And I guess Ihaven't really given you one, so…" she trailed off with a simple shrug.

He beamed at her words. "That's – that's great, Hollis. It means a lot."

"I want to get past this, too," she admitted. "But it won't be easy." Hollis sighed, looking down at her hands.

"But it'll be worth it," Grant told confidently.

"I hope so." She smiled weakly, her confidence in her decision waning.

"Hollis, I know I hurt you in the past but I promise that I won't hurt you. Not again," he said gravely. "I just need you to believe that."

Hollis nodded, willing herself to believe his words. "I do. I mean I'm trying to." She sighed and glanced towards the school. "But I need to know the whole story if we're going to move past this. If you want me to trust you, I have to know everything."

He took a moment to think and nodded. "That's fair," he agreed. "But you might not like what I have to say."

"I don't care," Hollis said, shaking her head. "I need the truth."

"Alright. I'll tell you everything tonight," Grant paused. "Right now, we both need to go our we'll be late. I'll pick you up after three," Grant said as she stepped out.

"OK, thanks." Hollis stepped out of the car but, before she closed the door, she leaned her head back in. "Good luck on your first day."

When her dad pulled away, Hollis scanned the parking lot for any signs of her friends but neither Lydia nor Allison were around. She spotted Stiles' jeep a few spaces down and made her way over. Stiles clumsily got out of the drivers side, wrestling with his backpack in the process. A few students looked his way with bemused looks.

 _He's so awkward_ , Hollis thought and stopped behind him.

"Smooth," she said with amusement.

Stiles jumped into the air, his arms flailing before her turned to face her. "You're going to give me a heart attack one of these days, Hollis," he stated but wore a smile nonetheless. "So, uh, how long were you standing there?"

"Sorry." Hollis stifled her laughter. "But long enough to see whatever that was."

"Oh, uh, the backpack and the seatbelt. They got…" he started to explain.

Amused, Hollis nodded along. "Sound fascinating, Stiles," she joked.

He hung his head and sighed. "You know what? Never mind."

"No, go on. I'm interested about this whole backpack/seatbelt thing."

"OK, well, somehow they got twisted together. I don't know how, but they did. Weird, right? Anyway, I couldn't," he started but stopped, throwing a look her way. "You're not really interested, are you, Hollis?"

Shaking her head, she laughed. "Not really. I kind of saw the whole thing, remember?"

Stiles nodded. "And my life is just one embarrassing moment after another," he sighed but a smile stretched itself across his face.

Hollis nudged him playfully. "How was the rest of your weekend?" She asked when they started to walk towards the building.

"Good. Not as crazy as Friday night was. Which is, you know, good. How was yours?" He asked but stopped walking. "Wait, were you crying?" Stiles pulled her aside to avoid the crowd of students walking. "You were, weren't you? I knew something was wrong! What happened? Are you OK? Was it Carter?" He searched her face for answers.

"Yeah, I'm ok," she reassured him but when Stiles didn't speak, she continued. "It was my dad. We finally had the talk. You know, the one about his leaving. Actually, we talked about having the talk but that's beside the point."

"Wait, so you guys didn't talk about that at all?" Stiles raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Wow…"

"I know. There wasn't any time to talk about it when he first came back and then we kind of got a different father/daughter relationship so we didn't bring it up," Hollis explained.

Stiles stood still, listening intently to her words.

"And of course he would choose to talk about it now of all times." She sighed as she gazed up at him. "I was hoping to avoid it but..." She shrugged. "Anyway, that's why I look like such a hot mess."

"You don't look like a hot mess, Hollis," he said, shaking his head. "You never do. You always look... great." A blush crept up his face and he cleared his throat. "But, uh, are you OK?" He questioned after a few seconds.

Hollis smiled at his previous words. "I'm fine, Stiles." She paused. "It just brought back all those memories, you know?"

He nodded slowly, understandingly. "It'll be ok, Hollis," he told her confidently. "And, if you need to talk after the talk, I'm just a text message away."

"Thanks." She took in the parking lot and nodded in the direction of Scott. "He looks better."

Stiles followed her gaze. "Yeah, definitely," he agreed. "Hey, buddy," he said when Scott walked over.

"Are you feeling any better?" Hollis asked.

Caught off guard, Scott turned to Stiles before he nodded. "Uh, yeah. Kind of. It's just that…" He frowned.

"Let me guess…Allison," Stiles finished his thought, shaking his head. He placed a hand on both of Scott's shoulders and gave them a shake. "This is what my weekend was like, Hollis," he joked.

"It's serious, Stiles." Scott looked at Hollis, his expression grave. "Allison hates me, doesn't she? Of course she hates me! Why wouldn't she hate me? I left her at the party." He groaned, running a hand through his hair.

"She doesn't hate you, Scott. She's just…confused," Hollis said. "I already talked to her for you but there's only so much that I can say. You need to talk to her. Soon. Just apologize."

Scott sighed. "I need to do that," he agreed. "Think she'll forgive me?" He asked.

Hollis smiled despite Stiles, who continued to roll his eyes. "Of course she will."

"I'll talk to her. Today," he said determinedly.

The three of them walked into the school, immersed in a conversation about nothing in particular. As they turned the corner, Hollis caught sight of Lydia and Allison near her locker. Waiting. She raised an eyebrow at Scott, wondering if he would gather the confidence to go over and talk to Allison right now but he averted her gaze.

"You seriously need to talk to her, you know," she told him.

"I know. I will but...later. I need to figure out what to say."

"How about 'Hey, Allison. Sorry for abandoning you at the party. I know I'm an idiot and you'll probably regret giving me a second chance but I'm sorry'?" Stiles suggested, which earned him a look of disapproval from them both. "Or not." He raised his hands defensively before dropping them by his side.

"Not helping, Stiles," she said and turned to Scott. "A simple 'I'm sorry' will work." Hollis glanced over at her friends for a brief second. Lydia looked impatient while Allison looked anywhere but at them. "I'll catch up with you guys later," she said, stepping away from them. "But talk to her, Scott," she called over her shoulder.

"Will you stop being so stubborn?" Lydia shook her head, exasperated. Spotting Hollis, she directed her attention towards her. "Oh, good, you're here. Maybe you can help me talk some sense into her."

"Maybe," Hollis said, opening her locker. She gathered the books for her morning classes then turned to them. "What's going on?" Hollis eyed both girls with confusion.

"She's trying to introduce me to other guys from the lacrosse team," Allison told her. "And by introduce, she means set up."

Wide-eyed, Hollis turned to the redhead and shook her head. "OK, yeah, don't do that."

"Thank you," Allison said, relieved.

"Allison, we all know that you can do so much better than Scott McCall." Lydia paused. "Who, by the way, still hasn't apologized for leaving you at the party."

"I don't think that," Hollis insisted. "Scott's a great guy. Who _will_ apologize." She looked at both girls as she said the last words. Allison seemed to believe her but Lydia looked doubtful.

"Right. Well, I say that he needs to hurry up." Lydia looked past them just then. "And speaking of guys who need to apologize, here comes Carter."

At the mention of his name, Hollis froze. She willed for him to walk past them she knew that he wouldn't, that he would want to talk to her. It was a conversation she didn't want to have. After the talk she had with her dad, she didn't need or want another heartfelt conversation with him.

"Hey," Carter said casually to Allison and Lydia. He turned towards her, his eyes searching her face. "Hollis…"

"I don't want to talk," she interrupted, shaking her head.

"Really? Hollis, we haven't talked since the party. We need to," he said.

Shrugging, she sighed. "Maybe we do but I can't talk to you right now, Carter."

"So when?" He questioned. "Just tell me when, Hollis."

"I don't know," Hollis answered truthfully. She avoided his gaze and fidgeted with the books she held. "But not now."

With a sigh, Carter nodded. "Alright. Just let me know." He gave her a hopeful look before walking away.

"So, what exactly happened between you two? All you said was that you two had a fight but that looked kinda intense," Allison said.

"It was a bad fight," Hollis admitted.

"Does this have anything to do with what he said to Giles at the scrimmage?" Lydia asked.

"Stiles," Hollis corrected then shook her head. "But, no. We fought at the party," she explained. "And I haven't talked to him since. I'm not sure if I want to talk to him after everything."

"Are you two going to be okay?" Allison asked.

"I don't know," she answered with a shrug. "I mean, we've fought in the past but none of them were as bad as this."

"You're not breaking up with him, are you?" Lydia asked.

"Honestly, I don't know." Hollis noticed the surprised looks on their faces and sighed. "I don't want us to considering how long we've been together by I'm not sure how we'll get past that fight."

"I'm sure everything will work out," Allison said confidently.

"Of course it will!" Lydia nodded. "You two are perfect together. Just give it some time."

"Yeah, perfect," Hollis muttered under her breath.


	9. Chapter 9

_Two more chapters for you guys! Thank you to everyone who's read, reviewed and followed._

* * *

The school day had passed without incident. It had been a quiet day, save for Allison wondering why Scott hadn't apologized and Lydia who insisted she should give up on him. Somehow, Hollis had become the mediator for the two.

Gathering her books, Hollis shoved them into her bag before she closed her locker. She started down the busy hallway, nerves fluttering about in her stomach at the thought of the conversation awaiting her and her dad. As she passed by a classroom, a hand grabbed her and she was pulled inside. Before she could react, the door to the room closed and she stood face to face with Carter.

"Let me out," Hollis demanded. She reached for the handle but Carter was faster. He placed his hand on the door, refraining her from opening it. "I'm serious, Carter." She turned to face him and crossed her arms over her chest.

"So am I," he said, taking a step towards her. "Just hear me out, Hollis."

Rolling her eyes, she took a deep breath and let it out. "What do you want?" She questioned, although she had an idea of what it was.

He took a few steps back, holding his hands up. "I just want to talk. To apologize and explain everything."

"I'm not ready to talk. I told you that this morning."

"Then don't talk," Carter said. "Just listen."

Hollis knew that he wouldn't give up, so she nodded. "Fine," she paused. "But I don't think it'll make a difference. You can't just undo everything by saying you're sorry."

"No, I know. But..." He stayed quiet for a few seconds as if contemplating what to say. "I never wanted to hurt you, Hollis. That's the last thing I wanted to do. I know it seems as if I haven't been there for you these past few months but I was. I…" He trailed off. "I wanted you to stop hurting and I didn't know what to do."

"You could have just been there," Hollis said. "That's all that I wanted from you, Carter. For you to be there when I needed you the most." Pausing, she looked up at him. "I've been by your side through everything, Carter. No matter what it was, I never complained. I was there for you but when I needed you, you were burdened by it all."

"I was there for you. It didn't seem like it though, I know, but you're right. I just didn't know that would be enough." Raking a hand through his hair, he sighed. "Look, I wanted you to move on and stop hurting, Hollis. I just thought that if I could ignore it, if I could get you to go out and have fun and be surrounded by your friends, that you would be okay." Pausing, Carter looked at her. "In my own messed up way, I thought I was helping you but turns out I acted like a jerk."

Hollis took in his words, the distrust on her face fading slowly. "I guess that makes sense," she admitted. But, upon seeing a smile take place on his face, she continued. "But it doesn't excuse what you said on Friday." She shook her head, incredulous. "I understand that you were trying to help me but those words hurt. If everything you just said was true then how could you have said that I was a burden you put up with? That my parents death was inconvenient for you? I mean, it contradicts _everything_ you just said."

Carter's smile faltered and he hung his head. "I know," he said quietly, a frustrated sigh escaping his lips. "I want to blame all of that on the alcohol." He held up his hand to keep her from interrupting. "I wish I could but I won't...I can't. I guess part of me meant what I said. I was pissed off because the help I thought I was giving you wasn't working but that's no excuse. I screwed up."

She stayed quiet. His words floated around in her head and she didn't know what to make of them. She wanted to believe him, to trust him but how? "I get it, Carter, but…" Trailing off, she shrugged helplessly.

Stepping forward, he placed his hands on her arms. "Just give me a second chance. I promise to be there for you like I should've been."

"I-I don't know, Carter," she told him.

"Hollis, I-." He dropped his arms by his side. "I'm sorry..."

"I know you are," she interrupted. Shaking her head, she sighed. "But I don't think we can move on from this. After everything you've said and done...It's not something I can just forgive and forget."

"So what are you saying, Hollis? That's it?" Carter asked, disbelief growing on his face. "I apologized and you're just ending it?"

"Yeah, I guess I am. I'm sorry." Before he could react and pull her back into the conversation, she slipped out of the classroom.

[- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -]

The bright afternoon sun greeted Hollis when she stepped through the double doors. She immediately glanced towards the parking lot, hoping to find her dad's car parked somewhere. Seeing that he wasn't there, she frowned. Readjusting the strap of her bag, Hollis tore her eyes away from the parking lot in time to see Scott approach Allison. _It's about time_ , she thought, watching the scene before her in silence.

Sensing someone, she turned to see Stiles casually standing beside her. "Oh, hey, Stiles."

He jumped back at her voice before grinning. "Hollis, uh, hey!"

"Seriously?" She raised her eyebrows. "You practically sneak up on me but you get scared?" She asked, unable to hide her amusement at his reaction. "Only you, Stiles."

His eyes wide, he shook his head. "I didn't sneak up on you. I mean, I just walked up and then, well, I didn't say…" He shrugged. "Uh, I guess I did. Yeah, sorry."

Narrowing her eyes, Hollis nodded slowly. "Right. Well, now I have no idea what we just said."

He laughed, nodding towards Scott and Allison. "So, they're finally talking. That's good, r-right? I mean, Allison's smiling, which has to be a good sign."

Rolling her eyes, she looked in their direction. "Yeah, it's definitely good. I think they're going to be ok."

Stiles let out a big sigh of relief. "Alright, good! Now I won't have to hear Scott talking about whether Allison will forgive him or not."

"I know what you mean," she agreed. "But you do realize that now they'll just talk about how awesome the other person is, right? I mean, now that they're back together, this is only the beginning."

Groaning, he shook his head. "Great just...great," he muttered but a smile rested on his face.

"Oh, come on. Those two are good together," Hollis stated.

"Yeah, they are," Stiles agreed with a single nod.

Hollis smiled, happy that her two friends were working things out. _At least one relationship can be saved_ , she thought to herself.

Carter's voice reached her ears just then and she froze. She prayed that he wouldn't approach her as he neared her. He only threw a quick look in her direction before walking past her. Relieved, Hollis let out the breath she had been holding.

Puzzled, Stiles looked from her to Carter.. "So, uh, you two still aren't talking?" He asked casually.

"We actually broke up a few minutes ago. I ended it," Hollis answered. She expected to feel some sort of pain at saying those words but none came.

"That's good. I mean not good... bad, very bad," Stiles stammered. "Are you ok?

"I think so," she said. "To be honest, I'm kind of...relieved. We haven't been ok for a while now and I'm just so over all this fighting, you know? Lately, I feel like I've been fighting with everyone so I'm just glad one battle is over."

"We never fought so it's not everyone," Stiles pointed out. "But I get it," he said with a nod.

Hollis smiled her reply but, after a few seconds, her smile faltered.

"You sure you're ok? Are you worried about the talk with your dad?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. Surprise had shown on her face because he added, "You told me. This morning. I, uh, remembered."

"Yeah, I am." Hollis nodded, still surprised that he remembered. "I'm kind of scared of what I'll find out. I mean, what if it's something that I actually don't want to know?"

Stiles moved in front of her. "It'll be fine," he said, looking down at her. "Trust me, Hollis, you can handle it." He gave her a confident smile. "And I'm only a text message away, you know, if you need to talk. If you want to talk."

"Thanks, Stiles." She returned the smile then looked in the direction of the parking lot for any sign of her dad.

He followed her line of sight. "Want me to wait until he gets here?"

"Thanks but don't you have lacrosse practice that starts like now?" Hollis asked, tilting her head.

"Yeah, but," he shrugged, grinning, "the bench will still be there. It's not like it'll just get up and walk away. I mean, it has legs but it won't walk. Because it's a bench. They don't...walk. And I doubt Coach will notice."

"You seriously need to stop being so negative," Hollis told him with a resigned sigh. "And sarcastic," she added the last park jokingly.

"It's not possible," he said with a shake of his head. "Negativity and sarcasm are the only things I have going for me."

Rolling her eyes, Hollis ignored his comment.

The sound of a horn beeping directed her attention towards the noise. Her dad's car idled in the parking lot and, through the open window, he waved at her.

She waved back before saying, "Well, Mr. Sarcasm, thanks for the offer but my dad's here. Now you won't have to be late for lacrosse." She took a few steps forward and turned to look at him. "But, thanks again."

[- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -]

Hollis got into the passenger side seat and placed her bag down by her feet.

"Sorry for being late." Grant pulled out of the spot as soon as she was situated. "Some faculty members and a few students kept stopping me to chat. People have horrible timing."  
"It's ok, dad, don't worry about it." She leaned back against the seat and watched the school get smaller.

"How was your day?"

"It was fine. Nothing special." Hollis thought back to the day with a shrug. "How was yours? How did your first day go?"

"Good. It was good. A bit overwhelming to be honest. Your mom definitely left some big shoes to fill," he told her, giving her a mixed smile of happiness and sadness. "But I'm determined to make it a great semester. Keep Addison's dream alive. It's the least I can do."  
Hollis smiled at his words. "That's great. And I meant what I said before. She would love this."

"Yeah, she would." Clearing his throat, he fixed his eyes on the road. "So, who was that you were talking to? When I pulled up," he questioned.

"Oh, that was Stiles," she answered with a nod. "He's the-"

"The sheriff's kid, right?" Grant asked, finishing her sentence. "I thought he looked familiar. I bumped into his dad a couple days ago. They're still investigating that murder, you know, the one where the body was found in the woods."

"I remember. Do they have any new information? Like suspects or something?"

Grant shook his head. "No, nothing yet. Nothing that he told me, anyway. But he did mention that it might just be an animal attack. A mountain lion or something like that."

Hollis raised her eyebrow, looking surprised. "Do you believe that? I mean, really? A mountain lion?"

"Yeah, I do," he said, throwing a look her way. "Beacon Hills has had animal attacks in the past, Hollis. When you were young there were several of them. So it's not impossible."

"I don't remember that at all." Hollis said, wide eyed.

"How could you?" Grant asked with a chuckle. "You were a kid. Eight or nine years old. But they did happen. Remember when your mom and I wouldn't let you go over to the park that one summer? Well, there had been a couple animal attacks prior and a lot of parents didn't want their kids going out. They were worried their kids would get hurt. You were so mad," he said with a shake of his head. "You stomped up to your room and wouldn't come out for at least an hour."

Hollis rolled her eyes at the faint memory. "Yeah, well, I wanted to go out and have fun. Of course I was mad," she said but laughed. "I guess I was too young to remember. But I don't know if I believe the whole mountain lion thing," Hollis said, shaking her head. "I think there's more to the story. I just...I don't know. Forget it."

"Well, whatever it is, Sheriff Stilinski and the department are working on it."

They drove on in silence before Grant spoke up. "Did you know that I grew up in Beacon Hills?" He glanced over at her once they reached a red light and, when she shook her head, he continued. "They've happened before, the animal attacks, when I was growing up."

"Was it actually a mountain lion?" Hollis asked.

"Yeah but some people thought it was something else," he told her, a mischievous look taking place on his face.

"Like what?" She asked, raising her eyebrow.

"I don't know but there's a myth that says that this town is...different. That there's something off about it." He looked at her with a grin. "It goes on to say that there are supernatural forces here. People claim that they see and hear things they can't explain like glowing eyes, weird noises at night." He shrugged.

"Yeah, ok." With a doubtful look, she rolled her eyes at what her dad was saying. "And let me guess, there a ghosts, vampires and werewolves roaming Beacon Hills, right?"

Grant shrugged with a laugh. "Hey, each town has it's own myth but…" he paused dramatically, "who knows, right? Anything is possible."

" _That's_ definitely not possible. Anyway, I'm more of a 'believe it when I see it' type of person."

"Don't kill the messenger," he said and laughed. "I'm just giving you some good old Beacon Hills history here."

Hollis tilted her head to the side, a laugh escaping her lips. "That's not history. That's myth."


	10. Chapter 10

Perched at the edge of her bed, Hollis stared down at her laptop with mild interest. The glow from the screen lit up her face as she browsed the pictures she had uploaded from her camera. She scrolled through the album with Mrs. Carrillo's words from last week echoing in her head: _Pair a picture with a short story_. It was a good idea but Hollis was still doubtful she could do it. But, then again, she wouldn't know for sure if she didn't try and trying was the least she could do. Having her work featured in the literary magazine had been something she had wanted once upon a time and, deep down, she still wanted it.

 _There has to be something here_ , Hollis thought.

The minutes ticked by and, she had looked through several albums with dozens of pictures inside. Stifling a yawn, she ran a hand through her hair. Tired, Hollis was ready to give up but before she could, her eyes landed on an album from three months ago. She opened it hesitantly, knowing what she would find inside. Pictures of the wrecked Honda stared her in the face. Although it was still hard to look at, the pain had lessened some. She went through picture after picture before she stopped on a specific one. It was the one with the scratches, the one that wouldn't let her forget. Hollis zoomed in, wondering if a mountain lion could have done that.

"I doubt it," Hollis muttered to herself.

Curious, she opened a new tab and typed in 'animal attacks in Beacon Hills'. The myth her dad had told her stirred in her mind, making her wonder how much of it could be true. All myths and legends started with a single fact before they grew out. Although she didn't believe in the supernatural, she was still curious. Not only that but she was getting nowhere with her writing and a distraction was very much needed.

When the results came up, she stared wide-eyed at the amount of animal attacks that had happened in Beacon Hills over the last couple decades. Her curiosity peaked, she read through several first hand accounts, accounts that happened to delve into the myth of supernatural creatures in town.

'It was no mountain lion,' said Sara Johnson (34).

'It was like something out of a horror movie! Glowing eyes, big teeth that could rip you apart,' reported Debbie Burgess (66).

'Mountain lion?' Ross Lloyd (43) said, 'more like a werewolf!'

"Yeah, right," Hollis said, rolling her eyes. "People will believe anything."

"What will people believe?" Grant asked, amusement in his eyes.

She glanced up to find her dad in the doorway. "Oh, nothing," she said, embarrassed. "I was just looking into that myth you were talking about. Werewolves and all things supernatural. I can't believe people actually believe this stuff. It's insane."

"Says the writer in the family," he said, stepping into the room. "I thought you were supposed to believe in the impossible."

Hollis shrugged, briefly looking down at the laptop. "Anything can happen in writing, dad, that's what makes it interesting. But we're talking about real life here. It's just not...possible."

"Alright, alright," he said with a chuckle.

Tilting her head to the side, she eyed her dad. "Do you believe all this?"

Grant scratched his chin, lost in thought. "Well...no," he answered. "But, then again, what do I know?"

With a laugh, she rolled her eyes.

He laughed with her but, as their laughter died down, a silence filled the room. After a few seconds, he cleared his throat. "So, uh, are you ready for that talk?"

Biting her lip, uneasiness filled her stomach. "Yeah," she said and closed her laptop, placing it beside her.

Grant pulled up a chair and sat down, his gaze shifting from her to the room. "So, where should we start?"

"At the beginning. I need to know everything."

"Right, of course." He nodded with a small smile. "Well, your mom and I made a great team. We had a lot of the same ideas…visions for what we wanted from life ranging from our careers to how we wanted your life to be."

"So, what happened?"

"Life happened," Grant stated with a shrug. "An opportunity presented itself one day. It was a job in Seattle that would have provided a great life for us but, like I said, life happened. Your mom didn't want to leave, to start over. Addison had just landed a position at the college that she always wanted and then you were starting middle school in the fall and…your mom didn't want to uproot us. She didn't think it was fair to herself or to you for us to move. I didn't blame her but..."

"But you took the job anyway, didn't you?" Hollis asked.

"Yeah." He ran his hand over his face and let out a sigh. "I was hoping that she would change her mind. I really wanted that job, Hollis. I wanted the life that job could have given us. But Addison was furious when she found out. She refused to leave and we fought on and off for weeks. I don't really remember everything from my last night here but words were said and… I left. I got to Seattle, started work by the end of the week and I stayed."

She looked at him wide-eyed. "How could you not even call, though? I get that you guys fought but I... That's what I don't understand."

"I was mad at Addison, Hollis. It had nothing to do with you. I need you to believe that."

Hollis nodded. "No, I do," she said honestly. "But..did you guys ever talk? Or was that it?"

"At first, I wanted to give her some space so I stayed quiet for a week. Then a week turned into a month and it just didn't feel right calling after that," he told her with a resigned sigh. "But your mom and I did talk eventually. We met up to talk things through but we couldn't fix what I broke. We decided to divorce and your mom didn't think it would be a good idea for me to see you. I agreed with her." He noticed the look on her face and continued quickly. "You had moved on from asking about me and, I didn't want to turn your life upside down anymore than I already had."

She listened intently despite the dozens of thoughts and questions swimming around in her head. Rather than voice them, she stayed quiet.

"I kept in touch with your mom over the years. She updated me on how you were, what you were doing. I wish I could've been there for you but I always knew what was going on in your life. I was absent but, in a way, I was still there."

"I can't believe mom didn't tell me any of this. I had a right to know. It should've been my decision on whether I wanted you in my life or not," Hollis said, shaking her head. "How could she not tell me?"

"Don't be mad at her," Grant told her gently. "She did what she thought was best. I was the one who screwed things up and, unfortunately, you paid the price."

Hollis stayed quiet, unsure of what to say to the explanation. It was a lot of information to take in; information that she hadn't been prepared to hear. She had imagined the whole thing so differently. Now that she had the whole story, it was a lot for her to process.

When she continued to remain quiet, Grant spoke up. "Hollis, are you ok?"

With a sigh, she nodded. "I think so. It's just a lot to process, you know? But...thanks for telling me the whole story."

"Yeah, of course," he said, smiling. "If you want to talk about it some more-"

"No, I'm good," Hollis interrupted. "I think I just need some time to think it all through."

Grant stood up and walked over to her. He hesitated before he placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, the smile still on his face. "I'll leave you alone for a bit."

When he left the room, Hollis let out a big sigh. The truth was what she had wanted and now that she had it, she felt overwhelmed. With the thoughts consuming her mind, she reached for her laptop; she needed a distraction right now. As the laptop came to life, the results from her previous search welcomed her. Hollis tried to focus on something else but her mind buzzed with the recent facts she had just learned.

For the next few minutes, she read other people's accounts of run-ins with the supernatural. Although it peaked her interest, she found it all hard to believe. Eventually, she closed the laptop before she could see the next post that featured her dad.

She reached for her phone and looked through her contacts then, hitting the 'call' button, she pressed the phone to her ear.

"Hey. Can we meet somewhere?"

[- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -]

The parking lot was empty when Hollis pulled in. Glancing out the window, she caught sight of the school building that stood ominous against the dark sky. The street lamps illuminated the area, giving off just enough light for her to see the light blue Jeep that was parked a few feet away. At the sight of it, a smile tugged at her lips. She pulled up beside it then stepped out into the cool night air. With a light tap on the window, Hollis climbed into the Jeep and was enveloped in the music that flowed through the speakers.

"Hey. Thanks for meeting me," she said.

"Yeah, no problem," Stiles said. "I always have time to meet up and, you know, talk. With you, I mean."

Hollis smiled at his answer. "Well, it goes both ways, you know."

Stiles grinned and drummed his hands on the steering wheel to the beat of the music. "So, uh, why did you want to meet up?" He asked. "Not that I mind because I don't! I'm just...curious."

"I just needed to get out of the house for a bit," Hollis answered with a shrug. "Well, that and I wanted to hang out."

Wide-eyed, Stiles pointed to himself. "With me?"

"No, with the janitor at the school," She answered, rolling her eyes. "Yes, with you."

"Oh, right. That's-that's...cool." He smiled sheepishly. "But everything's ok? You talked with your dad, right?"

"Yeah, we did. We're working past everything so it's nice," she answered. "But I just need time to process everything. I mean, I imagined it all so differently that it's just a lot to take in at once, you know?"

Stiles nodded to her words, listening intently. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"Not really." She looked down at her hands then back up at Stiles. "I guess at some point I will but after I process it all. Besides, I want to talk about something other than my problems," she said with a soft laugh. "So, how was lacrosse?"

"Uh, good," Stiles answered, nodding. "Jackson dislocated his shoulder after he ran into Scott." He noticed her expression and quickly continued. "Scott's fine. Just a few scrapes and bruises."  
"Ok, good," Hollis answered, relieved. "I feel bad about Jackson, though. I know he's an ass at times...well, most of the time, but that still sucks."

"Yeah, apparently it's pretty bad," he said. "But I can't say that he didn't deserve it."

The next hour went by quickly. It was filled with Hollis and Stiles talking about anything and everything. Leaning against the door, Hollis rested her head against the window and listened to Stiles talk.

"So, I drag Scott outside, right? And I _swear_ that there's this giant dog that just wants to kill me out there. Scott and Deaton search the alley. We hear the growling and see this big shadow coming near us. So, of course, I'm terrified of the thing," Stiles said and glanced over at her, a grin on his face. "But what steps out of the shadows isn't this big, monstrous dog but a little poodle, yapping away."

Hollis laughed into her hand, picturing the entire thing in her mind. When her laughter died down, she looked over at Stiles with an amused smile. "Well, I'm sure it was very terrifying."

"It was!" He insisted. "Scott still hasn't let me forget that. He always brings it up."

"Well, it's too funny to forget," she said. "I'm sure I won't forget it, either."

"Great. Thanks, Hollis," he said with a sigh but smiled in her direction.

Smiling, she glanced at the dashboard where she caught sight of the time. "Is it really that late already?" She questioned, digging her phone out of her pocket. The screen lit up the interior of the car, showing that it was a quarter to ten. "I should probably get going but I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Yeah, of course!" He answered, nodding. "I, uh, I had fun."

With her hand on the door, she turned to face him as a smile grew on her face. "Yeah, so did I," she said. "We should hangout again." Hollis opened the door and a cool breeze entered the car as she stepped out. "Get home safe."

"You, too," Stiles said. "I'll text you later," he said, although it came out as more of a question.

Smiling, she nodded. "Bye, Stiles."


	11. Chapter 11

_Sorry for not posting anything since last Saturday. It's been a crazy week and, I had no time to finish up the new chapters. But, they're finally done and I'm posting two as usual. Keep reading, commenting, etc. :) Enjoy!_

* * *

Now that it was the second week of school, the homework was piled on and, the lessons grew harder each day. The excitement and newness that was brought with the first week had started to fade. Students filled the overcrowded hallway, grumbling to their friends about their classes. Amongst those complaining was Hollis, who walked between Lydia and Allison.

"I hate algebra," she said with a sigh. "I'm already confused and lost in that class. How is that even possible?"

"You'll be fine," Lydia told her confidently. "You just need to study."

"Easy for you to say," Hollis mumbled, shooting a playful glare in her direction.

"If it makes you feel any better, I'm lost, too," Allison told her. "I have Jacobs for my class and, he thinks that we're all mathematicians. He doesn't even bother explaining anything half the time. When anyone asks a question, he gets mad and says that we should know it all by now."

"Math sucks." Hollis made a face, wrinkling her nose.

"Definitely." Allison nodded in agreement, her eyes briefly scanning the hallway. "Oh, uhm, I think I see Scott." She turned back to them, a smile plastered on her face. "I'll catch up with you guys at lunch." With a quick wave, she moved away from them and disappeared down the hall.

"They're cute," Hollis commented, following Allison with her eyes.

Lydia shrugged, indifferent to her words. "I suppose. I still think she could do better."

Rolling her eyes, she linked her arm with Lydia. "Come on, let's go before we're late."

They reached the classroom minutes later and, as Hollis walked in, dread filled her. With a frown, she took a seat beside Lydia then pulled out her notebook. She flipped to the notes from the previous class where she was greeted with the alien writing of letters and numbers. She wrinkled her nose at the equations, wondering how she would ever understand this.

"Lyd, I think I'll need your notes again. None of this makes any sense," she said, tearing her eyes away from the pages.

Lydia nodded, a soft laugh escaping her lips. "Sure. I can't let my best friend fail, now can I?"

"Thanks," she said with a smile.

The math teacher entered just then, the door closing behind him loudly. The class quieted down, save for a few students oblivious to the fact that class had started. Immediately, math problems were assigned and everyone fell into a quiet rhythm of working them out.

Hollis stared in confusion at the equation for what felt like hours. It wasn't until she heard her name being called that she looked up.

"To the board, Hollis. Solve that equation," Mr. Fields said, indicating to one of the three problems that were written.

With a side glance at Lydia, she stood up and stepped to the board. On either side of her, two students worked diligently. Clearing her throat, she picked up the chalk. Her hand hovered above the board as she struggled to make sense of it. Ignoring the scraping of chalk on either side of her, she started to write.

 _I hope this is right_ , she thought. She finished after the other two, and waited as Mr. Fields looked over her answer.

"You're nowhere near close," he said with a sigh. "Take a seat."

Hollis went back to her seat in time to hear Lydia, Scott and another student being called. She tried to figure out what she did wrong with her problem but her attention was soon drawn to Lydia talking to Scott. She watched their interaction and could just make out Lydia's dissatisfied face as well as Scott's confused one.

As quickly as the exchange happened, it was over. Lydia walked back to her seat and, Hollis stared at her questioningly. Just when she opened her mouth to speak, Mr. Fields continued on with the lesson. The minutes ticked by, feeling more like hours as the class dragged on. She stared at the board as he solved problems with ease, all the while getting more confused than ever.

Finally, the bell rang and Hollis felt the weight of the class lift from her shoulders. Once she gathered her things, she raced towards Lydia, who waited by the door.

She held out a notebook to her. "My notes."

Hollis smiled gratefully, taking it from her hand. "You're a lifesaver," she told her.

Lydia shrugged, a smug smile taking place on her face. "I know," she said with a laugh.

Hollis laughed along with her. "So, why were you giving Scott a hard time in there?"

Lydia looked at her, surprised. "You didn't hear?"

"Hear what?"

"That he decided not to play in the upcoming game."

Hollis raised an eyebrow. "He's not? Why?" She questioned, making her way through the groups of people crowding the hall.

"Because it's Scott," Lydia answered, exasperated. "First he makes first line, then he brutally injures my boyfriend and now he decides that he won't play. Like I said, Allison could do so much better."

Hollis rolled her eyes at her answer, ignoring Lydia's tone. "I'm sure he has a good reason. I don't know... I just didn't think he wouldn't play. I mean, he really wanted to be first line."

"You always give people the benefit of the doubt, Hollis," Lydia said with a shake of her head. "But I don't think there's any real explanation this time."

Hollis frowned, briefly seeing Scott out of the corner of her eye. Once he disappeared around the corner, she turned her attention back to her friend. "I can't believe that," she said. "Something must have happened."

[- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -]

The next few classes went by fairly quickly. When her second to last class before lunch finished, she went in search of her friends. She found Lydia and Allison as they walked out of a classroom, followed by a boy from the lacrosse team. From where she stood, it appeared that Lydia was introducing him to Allison. On the other side of the hallway, she noticed Scott watching the introduction take place.

 _What is she up to?_ Hollis thought as she quickened her pace towards her. Grabbing onto Lydia's hand, she pulled her aside and away from Allison.

"What are you doing?" She questioned, narrowing her eyes.

Lydia looked at her, an innocent expression on her face. "Nothing. Why?"

Hollis gave her a look then gestured towards Allison and the lacrosse player. "What's up with that? Don't tell me you're trying to set her up again."

"What do you mean again?" Lydia asked. Seeing the look on her face, she sighed. "Look, I just want Allison to keep her options open."

"She doesn't need options, Lyd. She's with Scott, or did you forget?"

"I didn't forget. I just think that..."

"She can do better. Yeah, I know," Hollis said, finishing her sentence. Tilting her head to the side, she surveyed the redhead. "This doesn't have anything to do with Scott possibly not playing in the game, does it?"

Lydia shrugged casually. "Maybe. But," she said, looking over her shoulder at Allison and the lacrosse player, "You have to admit they'd be perfect together." She turned back to Hollis with a smile on her face. "Kind of like you and Carter."

Her smile faded at the mention of Carter and their so-called perfect relationship. "Yeah, about that…." She moved a few strands of hair out of her face, avoiding Lydia's gaze. "Carter and I broke up."

"What? When did that happen?"

"Yesterday. After last period. He apologized and we talked but I broke up with him."

"And I'm finding out about this now?" Lydia asked, her eyebrow raised.

"I know, I'm sorry, Lydia. I wanted to tell you but I had a lot going on and...I guess I forgot."

Her eyes narrowed, Lydia studied Hollis. "Fine. I forgive you for not telling me sooner." A concerned smile soon found its way onto her face and, Lydia placed a hand on her arm. "Are you ok? Do you want to talk about it?"

"Honestly, I'm fine," Hollis answered. "I'm relieved that it ended, actually. Lately all we did was fight and…," she shrugged. "We haven't been ok for a long time."

She stayed quiet then nodded. "Well, it's about time."

"Yeah, I-," Hollis paused, confused at Lydia's words. "Wait, I thought you wanted me and Carter to be together. What happened to this whole 'you guys are perfect for each other' thing?"

"Oh, please, Hollis. I'm not blind. I knew that something was wrong with you two. I didn't say anything because I know you don't like being told what to do," Lydia said. "Besides, it was a decision you had to make on your own. I'm glad you made the right one. Although it did take you a while."

She opened her mouth to argue but stopped when she realized that Lydia was right. She wouldn't have listened to her even if she had been telling her to do the right thing. With a small laugh, Hollis nodded. "You're right. I guess I wouldn't have listened."

"What else is new?" Lydia asked, laughing. "Anyway, I need to stop by my locker before next period. Want to walk with me?"

"Yeah, sure." Hollis looked over her shoulder to see if Allison was still there but found Scott standing alone. "Actually, I'll catch up with you later."

Raising an eyebrow, Lydia shrugged. "Alright. See you at lunch."

Hollis closed the distance between herself and Scott. As she stopped by his side, she noticed that his attention was focused elsewhere. Following his gaze, she didn't see anything save for groups of students walking the halls.

"Hey. Everything ok?"

Scott slowly turned his attention to her then nodded. "Yeah, uh, everything's ok," he answered. "So, I saw Lydia was introducing her to everyone," he said, a flicker of concern showing on his face.

"Yeah, but it's nothing you should worry about," Hollis said reassuringly. "You know that Allison likes you. Lydia's just being Lydia."

Somewhat relieved, he smiled at her. "I-I guess you're right."

She smiled back, readjusting the strap of her bag. "So are you really not playing in the upcoming game?" Hollis asked once a few seconds passed. Seeing the look he gave her, she continued quickly. "Don't worry. I won't go all Lydia on you. I'm just asking."

Scott shrugged with a look of uncertainty. "I don't know. I mean, I want to but I-I...can't?"

"What do you mean you can't?" She asked, tilting her head to the side. "This doesn't have to do with Jackson, does it? Because he injured himself when he rammed into you. I mean, yeah, he'll hold a grudge because it's Jackson but –"

"It doesn't have to do with him. Well, not really," he interjected, shaking his head. "It's...well, it's a long story, Hollis. Just trust me, ok?" Scott asked with a pleading look.

"Alright, I trust you. I'm just a bit confused."

"Trust me, so am I."

The bell rang, signaling the start of class. The last remaining students ducked into their classes, which left only Hollis and Scott.

"We should get to class," Hollis said. "But think about playing, ok? You worked hard to get first line. Don't just throw it away."

With a smile, Scott nodded. "I will, thanks."


	12. Chapter 12

"I can't believe you still didn't unpack," Hollis said, her eyes gazing around the room that was full of boxes.

Allison laughed at her comment. "Yeah, I know. But," she paused and shrugged. "I don't know. We move so much that I didn't want to put all the effort into making this my room only to pack it up later." A frown appeared on her face, which she quickly replaced with a weak smile.

"But you stayed in San Francisco for over a year, right? Who knows, maybe you'll actually stay here." Hollis stood up from the bed and walked over to where Allison sat at the desk. "Come on, I'll help you unpack," she said with a smile.

Allison nodded, staring down at the box in front of her. "Let's start with this one. It's smaller," she said with a laugh. She pulled out a photo and smiled at the words on the back of the picture.

 _Philly Girls 4eva. We'll miss you!_

Hollis read over her shoulder. "Do you guys still keep in touch?"

"Sometimes," Allison answered, slipping the photo into the corner of the mirror. "But, you know how it is. The long distance, different schedules and a few phone calls a week turns into once a month until eventually it stops."

"Well, if you ever move, which you won't because I won't let you," Hollis started, smiling, "We'll always be friends. I promise."

Allison smiled as she looked into the box, pulling out a jewelry holder in the shape of a tree. "Can you find a place for this?" She asked, holding it out for her.

"Sure," Hollis said, taking the stand. She turned, eyeing the room for a place where she could place it. She walked to the dresser by the window and put it down. Gingerly, she moved it until she deemed it stood in a good place. "Anything else you want me to find a place for?" She asked over her shoulder, moving towards the window.

Allison rummaged around in the box before saying, "Uhm, not yet. Give me a second."

As she waited, Hollis looked out the window. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw quick movement on the roof. Curious, she moved forward to see what was out there. For a few seconds, all she saw was darkness but then she saw the movement again.

"Think I should put this here?" Allison asked, stepping beside her. When she noticed Hollis jump, she laughed. "Sorry, didn't mean to sneak up on you."

"It's ok," she said with a small laugh. "But now I know how Stiles feels," she added, giving her a smile. She glanced at the two decorative pictures Allison held and at the spot she wanted to place them. "Yeah, it's a good place for them," she said distractedly before she glanced back towards the window.

"What are you looking at?" Allison asked, following her stare.

"I-I just thought I saw something."

"Like a squirrel?" She joked but her smile fell when she noticed her expression. "There's nothing out there, Hollis."

Just as Allison went to pull the window shut, Hollis briefly caught the glimpse of a face.

"Wait, did you see that?" Hollis asked, turning to her. "I swear there was something or someone there."

Quizzically, Allison looked back towards the window but there was nothing there. "Well, whatever it was, it's gone now."

Hollis opened her mouth to respond but the sound of a thud outside caused her to stop. "What was that?"

Allison shrugged and glanced out the window. "Oh my God. Come on!" Without another word, she moved from the window and left the room.

Hollis rushed after Allison, wondering what had happened. She ran down the stairs and then out the front door but stopped when she saw the scene before her. Mr. Argent's car was parked in front of the house with the door still open and, as Hollis peered into the night, she saw a figure lying beside the car. Horrorstruck, she realized that figure was Scott.

"Dad? What the hell are you doing?" Alllison asked.

"He came out of nowhere –" Mr. Argent explained, at a loss for words.

"Are you trying to kill him?"

"Of course not. He ran out into the street—"

Scott moved on the ground, looking up at the faces peering at him. "I'm sorry. It's my fault."

Allison looked down at Scott, concern written on her face. "Are you ok?" She knelt down, brushing the dirt off of his face.

"Are you hurt?" Hollis asked, stepping beside Allison. She looked down at Scott who appeared to be in one piece. "I'm fine. I swear," he answered them both with a weak smile. "I'm sorry I hit your car. I was just coming to say hi." He said, glancing up at Mr. Argent.

As Allison helped him to his feet, Mr. Argent asked, "You're sure you're ok?"

"Yeah, completely." He nodded, brushing dirt and gravel off his clothes. "I should go. I've got a lacrosse game to get to. "

"You decided to play?" Hollis asked with a smile.

"Yeah. Can't pass up the chance of being first line," he told her with a grin then turned to Allison. "You're still coming? Right?"

"Of course, I'm coming," Allison told him.

"We both are," Mr. Argent said, giving him a nod.

"We'll see you there. Good luck tonight," Hollis said.

[- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -]

"I still can't believe you ran him over!" Allison exclaimed as the three of them made their way across the field.

"It was an accident, Allison," Mr. Argent said with a sigh. "Besides, the kid's fine. He said so himself."

Hollis stayed quiet as she walked beside them. She tuned out their bickering and looked around the field and bleachers that were quickly filling up with students and parents. The team still wasn't out but it wouldn't be long until they appeared. She searched the stands for any sign of Lydia but she knew it would be impossible to see her from this distance.

Hugging her jacket closer to her, she glanced over at Allison and gave her a smile.

"Excited?" She asked.

"Definitely. It's Scott's first game. I can't wait," Allison answered, returning the smile. She looked straight ahead, nodding in the direction. "Looks like the teams coming out."

Hollis followed her gaze to where the lacrosse team made their way onto the field with Scott and Stiles at the end. The three of them reached the packed bleachers and, as she lifted her eyes to the stands, she noticed Lydia. She gave her a small wave but it appeared the Lydia didn't notice her. Instead, the redhead walked down the metal steps and approached Scott with a determined look on her face. Hollis rolled her eyes at the typical Lydia move, feeling bad for Scott who had to put up with a threatening pep talk.

As Allison and Mr. Argent began to climb up the steps, Hollis stopped. "Save me a seat. I'll be right back."

"Sure, no problem," Allison said with a smile.

Turning towards the benches, she searched for Stiles and quickly found him. She walked to where he was sitting and sat down beside him.

He looked towards her, a look of surprise on his face that quickly turned into a smile.

Tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, her eyes surveyed the field then turned back towards him. "Where've you been hiding? I haven't seen you around for a couple days."

"Do you mean other than class? Because we have English and Chem. Together. I've seen you around."

"Yeah, other than class," she told him. "Are you avoiding me?" She joked.

"What?" Wide-eyed, he shook his head. "No, definitely not! I've just…."

Hollis laughed, cutting him off. "I'm kidding, Stiles."

Relieved, he smiled. "Oh. I-I knew that."

She narrowed her eyes and nodded at his answer. "Right. Of course you did."

Stiles grinned sheepishly at her. "Ok, well, I guess I thought you were kinda serious," he admitted. "We haven't really talked since that day, you know. I've just been busy. Had a lot going on."

"Everything ok?" She asked, concerned.

"Yeah, yeah. Everything's good. Nothing to worry about."

Hollis smiled, looking towards the spot where Lydia and Scott still stood. She shook her head as she watched Lydia practically threaten him. "Poor Scott," she said with a laugh.

"She sure wants to win, huh?" Stiles asked. "He'll be fine. We'll be fine," he told her. "And by we, I meant the team. We're a we but, you know, we're friends and I don't, well...I'll shut up now."

Hollis laughed into her hand at his confusing words.

"Hey, kiddo," Sheriff Stilinski said as he tapped Stiles on the shoulder. He looked towards Hollis, a quick look of surprise showing on his face before he smiled. "Hi, Hollis."

"Hi, Sheriff," she said, smiling. "How are you?"

"Good, good. Are you doing ok?"

She nodded her reply. "Yeah, thanks."

He smiled then turned towards Stiles, nodding towards the field. "Any chance you'll be seeing some action tonight?"

"Action? Definite possibility," he answered with a nod.

"You actually weren't negative! I'm so proud." With a smile, Hollis nudged him.

Stiles chuckled. "But the sarcasm stays. I'm not getting rid of that," he told her.

The sound of the whistle brought their attention to the field. She watched with interest as Jackson scooped the ball up before the opposing player could react. Despite herself, she smiled. That smile soon faded when he passed the ball to someone other than Scott who clearly was closer.

"Come on, Scott," she mumbled as he hurried across the field to take the ball. Just when she thought that he had it, Jackson swooped in and stole it. "He's not exactly playing fair, is he?"

"He never plays fair," Stiles answered with a frown.

Hollis sighed, her attention returning to the game before them. Jackson hurled the ball towards the opposing goal, scoring the first goal of the game.

"That's it, Jackson! Get fired up!" The Coach shouted as cheers erupted in the stands.

Hollis cheered mildly, but not for Jackson. She cheered for the team getting a point but she didn't like the unfair way that Jackson played the game.

"Brutal," Stiles said, getting Hollis's attention. He gestured in the direction of the stands where Lydia and Allison stood, a poster raised above their head. _We luv u Jackson!_ was written on it.

"Seriously?" Hollis asked with a shake of her head. She saw that Allison didn't look too pleased to be holding the poster and, she didn't blame her.

"This is not going to be good," Stiles said, shaking his head.

She looked at him quizzically. "What are you talking about? The game just started."

Stiles opened his mouth to respond but decided against it. "I just, well, I-I meant the poster. Not exactly a confidence boost for Scott, you know?"

Hollis nodded understandingly. She didn't get a chance to respond because their attention was brought to the game.

Scott continued to be left out of the game. It seemed that each player, probably threatened by Jackson, deliberately didn't give Scott a chance. The team played well, scoring points and doing their absolute best to beat the opposing team. Hollis watched the game with interest, cheering when they scored along with everyone else.

The first quarter of the game ended, with Scott not getting any passes or chances to get the ball.

"That's so unfair," Hollis said during the break.

"That's Jackson for you," Stiles told her with a weak smile. "I'm sure Scott will score. Positivity, remember?" He asked with a grin.

Laughing, she nodded. "Right. Positivity." She glanced towards the bleachers, seeing Lydia and Allison in the midst of a conversation. "I think I'm going to go sit with them for a bit. Try to keep Lydia from putting the Jackson poster up."

A small frown appeared on his face but he tried to cover it up with a weak smile. "Oh, okay," Stiles said and nodded.

Hollis smiled before she stood up and started towards the bleachers. Steadily, she climbed the steps in an effort to not get knocked over or hit someone. Unscathed, she arrived beside her friends.

"Where've you been?" Lydia questioned, shooting a quizzical look in her direction.

"Yeah, you said you'd be right back but…." Allison added.

"I was talking with Stiles," Hollis answered, glancing in his direction. She saw him turn around and smiled.

Lydia raised an eyebrow. "Who?"

Hollis rolled her eyes at her obliviousness, whether intentional or not. "Stiles. Scott's friend "

A bare look of recognition appeared on Lydia's face and she nodded. "Right. What's up with you two anyway?"

"What do you mean?" Hollis asked.

"You guys are spending a lot of time together lately. I don't know why since he's well, him, but it's just weird."

"We're friends. We hang out at times and talk," Hollis answered with a shrug. She saw the questioning looks on their faces and decided to change the topic. "So, what do you guys think of the game so far?"

"It's good. Even injured, Jackson is great...as always," Lydia replied with a smug smile.

"And unfair. He's not even giving Scott a chance," Hollis said.

Lydia shrugged while Mr. Argent asked, "Which one is Scott again?"

"Number Eleven. Otherwise known as the one who hasn't caught a single pass the entire game," Lydia answered, ignoring the annoyed look that Hollis threw her way.

"I hope he's ok," Allison said, worried.

"I hope we're okay. We need to win," Lydia said.

"Well, maybe if Jackson would include everyone in the game, then we would win," Hollis said.

Lydia picked up the sign once more and threw a look in Allison's direction. "Allison? Little help here?"

With a sigh, Allison reluctantly picked up the sign that now read _JACKSON IS #1!_

"Seriously?" Hollis asked, tilting her head to the side.

"Jackson's my boyfriend. I need to support him," Lydia said. "You're more than welcome to help."

"Thanks but I'll pass."

Lydia shrugged but a small smile tugged at the corners of her lips.

The next quarter began when the whistle blew. Jackson and the opposing player grappled for the ball, which flew into the air. But out of nowhere, Scott appeared and snatched it before the others could react. The crowd didn't hide their surprise at Scott's quick improvement, neither did Hollis. When the ball flew into the net, scoring a goal for Beacon Hills, everyone cheered.

"To McCall! Pass to McCall!" Coach yelled to the team.

Hollis looked at Allison who wore the same look of happiness on her face. Lydia looked more annoyed than anything else, which couldn't help but make Hollis confused.

"We're down one point, Lyd. I think we'll actually win," Hollis said to her friend excitedly, which earned her a small smile from her.

Through the cheering, the ref yelled, "Set!"

Her eyes were glued to the field as were everyone else's when the whistle blew once more. With a minute down, she held her breath to see if they would score the point to win the game. Everyone watched on in surprise when the opposing player threw the ball to Scott, who quickly ran across the field and scored yet another point.

"Did the other team just give Scott the ball?" Hollis asked in surprise.

"Yeah, I think so," Allison answered.

"Well, alright then," she said with a laugh, looking towards the clock that quickly count down the seconds.

Again, the whistle blew and both teams charged across as each player tried to get hold of the ball. Scott was quick and grabbed the ball before anyone else could. He started to charge down the field but, rather to the goal, he ran at a lacrosse player.

"Come on, Scott. You can do it," Allison said quietly, eagerly watching the game.

Hollis glanced towards her, giving her a small smile. "He can do it," she said confidently.

Almost as if he heard them, Scott changed direction towards the goal and threw the ball. Everyone held their breath, watching the ball fly through the air as if in slow motion. When it hit the net, everyone cheered loudly.

"We won!" Hollis said with a laugh, looking at both her friends.

"Not bad, McCall," Lydia said with a smile. She grabbed onto Allison and Hollis's hand and, the three girls ran down the bleachers towards the overcrowded field.

"Do you see Scott anywhere?" Allison asked while she searched the faces of the lacrosse players.

Lydia shook her head while Hollis answered, "No. I wonder where he went." She took in the people around them before her eyes landed on the sidelines. "Maybe Stiles knows. Be right back."

Allison nodded mutely and continued looking around them with Lydia.

Hollis moved through the crowd, which wasn't an easy a task as she hoped it would be. She reached the bench where Stiles sat, white as a sheet. "What's wrong? Why do you look like you've seen a ghost?"

He looked up quickly with a nervous chuckle. "It was, uh, the-the game. Surprising and very overwhelming." He nodded at his answer then stood up.

"Yeah, it was amazing," Hollis said, pulling her jacket closer to her against the chilly wind that had picked up. "Allison was looking for Scott. Have you seen him?"

"Wasn't he just here?" He asked, a sudden look of panic on his face.

Hollis shrugged. She turned her attention towards the field once more, scanning the large crowd for any sign of Scott. As she looked, she failed to see Allison when she spotted Lydia. Taking her phone out, she typed in a quick message, asking where she was and whether she found Scott. A moment later, her phone buzzed with a message from Allison that read: _I'm in the school. I think I saw Scott going into the locker room._

"Dad? What's wrong?" Stiles asked, causing Hollis to look up from her phone.

She noticed the worried look on the Sheriff's face. "Everything ok?" She asked, placing her phone in her pocket.

"It's, uh, the case. New information." He looked at them both hesitantly, as if wondering if he should reveal anything. He ran his hand over his face and let out a sigh. "I guess you'll be hearing about it soon. We ID'd the victim. Her name was Laura Hale."

"Was she related to Derek?" Hollis asked. "I mean, of course she was. Dumb question, sorry," She said with embarrassment.

"There's no such thing as a dumb question, Hollis," the Sheriff said gently. "But Laura was his sister," he answered. "And she was killed by an animal. Mountain lion apparently."

She looked over at Stiles, who appeared to be more surprised by this news than her.

"Crap. So it's not…?" Stiles trailed off, looking at his dad.

"Afraid not. We'll have to let Derek go. He's innocent after all."

Hollis looked from one Stilinski to the other. "Wait. You two thought Derek was the killer? No offense but that's crazy. Why would he kill his own sister? She was probably all the family that he had left."

"Yeah, that's true," the Sheriff said with a nod. "Anyway, I should get back to the station. See you at home?" He asked Stiles, who nodded. With a final wave, he moved away from them and walked across the field.

"So it's just an animal?" Hollis asked, turning to Stiles.

"Guess so. I guess I was hoping for, I don't know," he answered.

"An actual person to blame?" Hollis asked. "Yeah, it would've made it better somehow. But at least we know now."

"True." He nodded with a small smile. His eyes grew wide before he said, "Scott! I forgot. Uh, he's not here, right?"

Hollis shook her head then nodded towards the school. "Allison said she saw him head towards the locker room. She went after him."  
"I'll go make sure he's ok," Stiles said.

"Hey, I'm coming with you. To check on Allison." Hollis took a step forward but stopped when she saw Stiles expression. Rolling her eyes, she sighed. "Come on, let's go."

The two of them made their way towards the school, a few words passing between them as they walked. When they arrived outside the locker room, Stiles opened the door.

Hollis hesitated. "This is weird, right?" She asked with a small laugh.

"A little bit," Stiles answered, grinning.

She stepped inside and walked behind Stiles towards the sound of the voices. She could just make out the faint words that were said between Scott and Allison.

Stiles suddenly skidded to a halt. Before Hollis could walk past him, he grabbed onto her arm and pulled her back behind the locker.

She looked at him questioningly but he slowly guided her to the edge of the locker. Hollis peaked out from behind to see Scott and Allison mid-kiss. "Aw, they're so cute!" She whispered with a soft laugh. She leaned against the locker, still wearing the smile.

"Yeah. But would it kill them to get a room?" Stiles muttered although he smiled as well.

"They kinda have one. We're just invading their privacy," Hollis said. "So, now that we found them and they're ok, should we go? I mean, I don't want to stand here like a creep spying on them."

Stiles chuckled. "Yeah, maybe. Or we can just wait outside. You know, until they're...done."

"Good idea," she said with a nod. She moved to retrace her steps back to the hallway but, before she could take a step, she saw Allison.

"Hi, Hollis. Stiles," Allison said.

"Hey," Hollis said and laughed. "Uhm, we were looking for you."

"Well, you found us," Allison said with a smile.

"Yes. Yes, we did." Stiles nodded, looking at the three of them.

"Great game, Scott," Hollis told him.

"Thanks. It was pretty good," Scott said and, a smile lit up his face.

"Anyway, we should probably find your dad, Ali. We'll see you guys tomorrow."

Grabbing onto Allison's hand, she pulled her out of the locker room. Once they were in the hallway, she glanced at her friend to see her blushing.

"Was that your first kiss with Scott?"

Allison nodded, her blush deepening. "Yeah. It was nice."

"You two are great together. I'm really happy for you."


	13. Chapter 13

_Sorry for taking yet another week to update. Real life and work got in the way again. Thanks to everyone who continued to read, follow, fave and review. Enjoy these two chapters :)_

* * *

Hollis stared at the board, trying to decipher what Mr. Harris was writing. If there was anything that she was worse at than Algebra, it would be Chemistry. She tilted her head to the side, reading the chemical symbols that meant absolutely nothing to her. She squinted, as if that would possibly help her understand the chemical gibberish. Nonetheless, Hollis copied everything down in the notebook and hoped that Mr. Harris would provide at least some explanation or information on everything.

While she wrote, she heard the constant whisperings that belonged to Scott and Stiles. Although she couldn't hear just what was being said, the noise itself was distracting. Turning around, she glanced over at the two who were oblivious to her stares.

"Hey," she whisper yelled.

Stiles and Scott looked up quickly, directing their attention towards her.

"Hey!" Stiles said cheerfully, a smile lighting up his face.

Rolling her eyes, she couldn't help but smile. "Can you guys keep it down a bit? Chem is hard enough as it is and, you two talking about who knows what is kind of distracting."

Scott nodded to her words, a sheepish look on his face. "Yeah, yeah. Sure. Sorry."

Stiles also nodded his reply, giving her a thumbs up.

Shaking her head, she turned back to the front of the room. Her eyes landed on her notebook, which was now filled with different chemical interactions. Hollis frowned at the sight of them with a sigh.

The seconds ticked by and she sat there, listening to the tapping sound of chalk on the chalkboard. As she sat there, Stiles voice drifted towards her, breaking her out of her thoughts. She was about to turn around and ask him to keep quiet but Mr. Harris beat her to it.

"Mr. Stilinski, if that's your idea of a hushed whisper you might want to pull the earphones out once in a while. I think you and Mr. McCall would benefit from a little distance. Yes?" Mr. Harris asked.

Hollis turned around, seeing the dumbfounded looks on their faces.

"Uh...No," Stiles answered, shaking his head.

Despite his response, Mr. Harris pointed to two empty desks on either side of the room. Reluctantly, Scott and Stiles gathered their things then went to their new seats.

"Let me know if the separation anxiety gets to be too much," Mr. Harris said, a pleased look on his face. He turned back to the board and scribbled a few more things on it before turning around again. "Someone tell me what this equation means. How to solve it, what it forms." His eyes pierced the room, taking in the worried faces of the students. "Anyone?" He asked. When no one replied, he said, "Hollis."

She looked up to see his attention was focused solely on her. "What?" She asked, wide-eyed.

"Not paying attention already?" Mr. Harris asked, shaking his head. "I asked you to tell me what any of these equations meant. How about this one?" He asked and pointed at a difficult looking one.

"Oh, uhm…." Hollis looked down at her notebook. She nervously flipped through her notes to the previous lessons, hoping to get an idea.

"I'm waiting," Mr. Harris said impatiently.

Sighing, she looked up. "Honestly...I don't know," she answered truthfully.

"I'm guessing you didn't do last night's homework then." Mr Harris said.

"No, I did. I just-" Hollis interrupted.

"If you had, then you'd know the answer. That's two strikes against you and it's only the second week. Very disappointing."

Hollis frowned at his words. She opened her mouth to respond, to argue again that she had done the homework but no words came out. With a sigh, she lowered her eyes to her notebook and kept quiet.

The sound of a mumble reached her ears but she couldn't make out the words. Apparently neither could Mr. Harris because he focused his attention on the person who spoke the incoherent sentence.

"Did you have something you wanted to add, Mr. Stilinksi?"

Quickly, she looked towards Stiles. When he caught sight of her, she shook her head in a warning, urging him not to say anything.

"Actually, yeah." Stiles tapped his pen nervously against the desk and looked away from Hollis. "I just...I don't think you're being fair. To Hollis, I mean. Maybe she just doesn't understand this."

Bemused, Mr. Harris looked from Stiles to Hollis and back again. Just when he was about to respond, a student yelled, "Hey, look! They found something!"

Everyone's attention turned to Harley, who pointed towards the window.

"They found a body!" Harley said as everyone rushed from their seats and towards the window.

Although Hollis was curious, she took her time getting up from her desk to avoid the rush of students moving in one direction. She stood up when she noticed Stiles making his way towards the window and quickly blocked his path.

"Hey. Thanks for that. You really didn't have to," she said.

"I wanted to. I mean, he wasn't being fair. At all," Stiles told her with a look in Mr. Harris's direction.

"No, I know. But...I didn't want you to get in trouble, too."

Stiles shrugged but smiled at her.

"You need to see this," Scott said, showing up beside them.

The three of them moved towards the window, where an ambulance was parked outside by the woods. Two EMT's pushed a gurney with a body strapped to it. An uneasy feeling filled Hollis as she watched but she couldn't pull her eyes away from the sight. The murmur of whispers floated around, each person wondering who the victim was and what exactly happened.

 _They'll probably call this another animal attack_ , Hollis thought with a sigh as her eyes trailed the gurney. When the body quickly shot up, everyone screamed and jumped back, including Hollis. She tried to steady her rapid heart, focusing on calming her breathing.

"This is good. He's not dead. He got up. A dead guy can't do that," Stiles said beside her, but whether he was talking to her or Scott she didn't know.

Hollis nodded either way, happy that whoever the victim was had survived.

[- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -]

"Earth to Hollis," Lydia said, waving a hand in front of her face. "What's going on with you today?"

"Sorry." Hollis ran a hand through her hand, giving her a small smile. "I'm still thinking about that poor guy who got attacked."

Lydia tilted her head to the side, giving her a comforting smile. "I'm sure he'll be fine," she told her gently. "And it's terrible what happened but he's alive. Thinking about it all day won't make you feel any better. Trust me, okay?"

Sighing, she nodded slowly. "I guess you're right." Shifting the tray she held, Hollis looked around the cafeteria that was quickly filling up. "Where should we sit?"

"Usual place is good, right?" Lydia asked with a shrug.

Hollis scanned the room, taking in the tables and the people that occupied them. Her eyes landed on a table with two occupants: Scott and Stiles. With a grin, she turned to Lydia. "Let's sit there," she said, nodding in their direction.

Lydia raised an eyebrow as she followed her line of site. "You're kidding, right? Why on Earth would I sit there?"

"Allison will be sitting with Scott so...why not?" She ignored the look on her friends face and gently nudged her forward. "Come on."

Narrowing her eyes, she threw a glare her way. "I hate you," Lydia said sourly.

"No you don't." Hollis laughed, which earned her a smile from Lydia.

"Fine." She sighed as she grudgingly looked across the room. "Let's go."

The girls crossed the room to their table, catching the end of their conversation.

"...We'll figure this out," Stiles said confidently.

"Figure what out?" Lydia asked and took the empty seat beside Scott.

"Uh...Homework. Just homework," Stiles replied, throwing a surprised look at them.

"Well, when you figure out Algebra or Chem let me know." Hollis placed down her tray on the table before taking the seat beside Stiles.

"You're behind in math, too?" Scott asked.

"More like hopelessly lost," Hollis said with a sigh. "That and Chem are just…," she trailed off, shaking her head.

"If you need help, I mean, I can help. You know, if you want," Stiles offered.

Hollis turned to him, a smile stretching across her lips. "Yeah, that'd be great actually. Thanks."

"Yeah, sure. No problem," Stiles said, nodding.

"I thought Allison was joining us," Lydia interrupted, directing a small glare in Hollis's direction.

"I'm right here," Allison said, appearing beside the table. She waited until Scott removed the backpack from the seat then sat down. "Thanks. Did I miss anything?"

Hollis shook her head. "Not really. Just talking about math," she said, wrinkling her nose.

Allison made a face. "Glad I missed that conversation."

Hollis laughed and looked up when a few people showed up at their table, filling the remaining seats quickly. When Jackson showed up, she rolled her eyes and knew that all hopes of having a normal lunch were gone. She ignored the small conversation that took place between him, Danny and another lacrosse player. But the next thing that Danny said peaked her interest and she looked towards him.

"So they're saying it's an animal attack. Probably a cougar."

"I heard mountain lion," Jackson said.

"A cougar is a mountain lion," Lydia corrected, rolling her eyes. She glanced around the table, to see that everyone's attention was directed at her. A confused expression crossed her face then as she looked towards Jackson. "Isn't it?"

Jackson shrugged, not interested in the information. "Who cares? The guy's probably some homeless tweaker who's gonna' die anyway."

"So that makes it ok, Jackson?" Hollis asked in disbelief. "Just when I thought that you couldn't get more heartless. You always prove me wrong."

Glaring in her direction, Jackson opened his mouth to respond but was interrupted by Stiles.

"Actually, I just found out who he is," Stiles said while he looked down at his phone. "Check this out."

The voice of the news anchor flooded out of the tiny speakers, reaching everyone's ears as they moved forward in their seat to listen to the report.

"-identified the victim of the possible animal attack as Garrison Meyers-"

"I know that guy," Scott said in disbelief, throwing a look around the table. "I used to take the bus back when I lived at my Dad's place. He was the driver."

Hollis sat back in her seat and crossed her arms. She took in the small amount of information she had just learned. A frown rested on her face and she raised her eyes towards Jackson. "Does knowing who he is make a difference? Or is it just the 'homeless tweakers' you're indifferent about?"

"Hollis, I swear-"

"Can we talk about something slightly more fun, please?" Lydia interrupted and, when she caught Hollis's eye, she smiled softly at her. "Like where we're going tomorrow night," Lydia continued, turning her attention towards Allison and Scott. "You said you and Scott were hanging out tomorrow, right?"

"We were thinking of…," Allison began but paused. "What were we going to do?"

"We hadn't decided," Scott said uncertainly.

"Well, I'm not sitting at home watching lacrosse videos again. If the four of us are hanging out let's pick something fun," Lydia said with a smile. She glanced at Hollis then and tilted her head. "You should join us. It'll be fun." Lydia looked around the table. When her eyes landed on Stiles, she shrugged. "You can come, too I suppose."

Nervously, Stiles glanced at Hollis who looked just as lost as he did. "I-I don't know?"

Hollis looked from Stiles to Lydia. "Actually, I'm …."

"Perfect. The six of us it is," Lydia said with a satisfied nod.

Dumbfounded, Scott nervously looked around the table. "Hanging out? The six of us?"

Jackson turned to Lydia, anger flashing in his eyes."When the hell were you going to tell me about this?" He asked, his voice taking on an icy tone.

Scott looked at Allison and lowered his voice. "You want to hang out? The six of us? You and me? And them?"

Allison shrugged, a smile tugging at her lips. "Sure. Sounds fun."

Jackson picked up his fork, his glare directed at everyone at the table. "You know what else sounds fun? Stabbing myself in the face with this fork."

"That does sound like fun," Hollis said. "Can we take turns?" She asked, which earned her a laugh from Stiles.

"Oh, come on, Jackson. How about bowling? You love to bowl," Lydia suggested, ignoring Hollis's comment from before.

"Yeah, but with actual competition," Jackson answered.

"How do you know we're not competition?" Allison questioned. "You can bowl, right?" She asked Scott.

"Sort of-"

"Sort of? Or yes?" Jackson asked.

Scott glared back at Jackson. "Yes. In fact," he began confidently, "I'm a great bowler."

Lydia smiled, satisfied with everyone's answer. "Perfect. So, it's a date."

[- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -]

When the final bell rang, signaling the end of the school day, Hollis made her way towards her locker. She switched her books for the ones she needed, haphazardly throwing them into her bag. At the sight of her math book, she wrinkled her nose. The subject loomed over her, creating a dark cloud above her head every time she thought of complex equations she would have to face. She picked up the heavy textbook, dreading the homework she would have to complete and the upcoming quiz that would surely result in failure.

"Hey," Stiles said, appearing by her side.

Hollis looked at him with a smile. "Hey." She fumbled with the book and, it slipped out of her hand.

He caught it clumsily and held it out to her.

"Thanks." She shoved it into her bag and looked over at him. "Any news on the bus driver?"

He shook his head with a small shrug. "No. He's in the hospital but I think he has a good chance of recovery. It'll take a while but he's alive."

"That's good." Hollis nodded in relief. She turned back towards her locker, tilting her head as she searched through her books. "Where did my math book go?"

"I just handed it to you. After you dropped it," Stiles said with a laugh.

Confused, Hollis lowered her eyes to her bag and looked through the books she had put inside. When she caught sight of it, she looked towards him with a grin. "I knew that," she joked.

"Sure you did," Stiles said and laughed. Nervously, he moved his hand to the back of his neck. "So, uh, about tomorrow," he started nervously.

"Right, I wanted to talk to you about that, too."

Stiles nodded and waited for her to continue.

"I actually can't go," she said slowly. "Lydia kind of decided for me that I was going but I'm supposed to meet my dad for dinner. He's working late and, well, things are finally good between us and…"

"You don't have to explain. I get it," Stiles said, although the grin he had worn had faded. "It's-it's fine. I'm not a great bowler anyway," he added with a small laugh.

Tilting her head, she adjusted the strap of her bag. "I'm really sorry." Hollis ran a hand through her hair, brushing out the tangles with her fingers. A few silent seconds passed before an idea hit her. "But does that offer still stand? About helping me with math."

"Yeah, yeah. Definitely," Stiles said, nodding. "Did you need help? I mean..., you know what I mean."

Hollis laughed. "I need all the help I can get. There's a quiz this Friday and, if I fail that, then…" she shrugged and paused, letting out a sigh. "I was thinking that maybe we could meet up before I have to meet my dad. That way we could still hang out."

Stiles brightened up at that suggestion and nodded enthusiastically. "Sure. We could, yeah...sounds good."

"Great," she said and smiled. "I'm meeting him at the pizza place like right around the corner from here at like seven. Can we meet there around five?"  
"Yep. Five's a good time," he answered with a grin. "Did you want me to pick you up or…?"

"We could just meet there. I'll be at Lydia's after school so I'll have her drop me off on the way to the bowling alley."

"Ok," he said, nodding. "It's a date, then." His eyes went wide after he spoke the words and he shook his head, his hand going to the back of his neck. "I mean, a math...study date. Hangout. Study thing," he stuttered.

Amused, Hollis narrowed her eyes and nodded slowly. "Study date it is," she said with a laugh. "I should get going but thanks again. You're literally saving my life."


	14. Chapter 14

Allison pressed the sweater to her body and took in her appearance in the mirror. With a head tilt, she turned towards Lydia who lounged on the bed and Hollis who sat beside her.

"What do you guys think?" Allison asked.

"Well, it's…" Hollis started.

"Pass," Lydia said without so much as a glance at it. She looked over at Hollis with a questionable look. "So, what you're saying is that you can't come out with us because you have a date with what's-his-name?"

"It's not a date," she explained. "He's just helping me with math. It's a study...thing."

Unconvinced, Lydia nodded. "Of course it is," she said cheerfully then looked towards Allison who held up a shirt. "Pasadena," she said with a roll of her eyes. "Pass."

"I have to find something to wear," Allison said under her breath, turning towards her closet. "So, where are you and Stiles going for your date?"

"Not you, too, Ali," Hollis said, running a hand through her hair. "Come on, you guys. It's not a date. If I didn't have to meet up with my dad for dinner, then Stiles and I would be hanging out with you, Scott and Jackson at the bowling alley. How is this any different?"

"Because it'll just be you and him," Lydia stated with a smile.

"And a pizzeria full of people," Hollis added, throwing a look at both her friends.

Allison smiled, a knowing look passing between her and Lydia.

"What?" Hollis asked with a sigh. She looked from Allison to Lydia, trying to will one of them to speak up.

"It's just that…." Allison started after a pause. "You two would be so cute together."

"Not perfect but cute...I suppose," Lydia agreed.

Crossing her arms, she shook her head at their comments. "Look," Hollis said slowly. "I just broke up with Carter like a week ago. I'm not even remotely ready for another relationship." She wound a strand of hair around her finger, keeping her attention on that and not the conversation at hand. "Besides, Stiles and I are just friends."

"Maybe." Allison stopped searching through her closet and looked over her shoulder. "But it's obvious that he likes you, Hollis. Come on, don't tell me you don't see the way he looks at you."

With a playful smile, Lydia nudged Hollis. "Just admit that you like him and we'll stop. I promise."

"You two are unbelievable," Hollis muttered.

Allison ignored Hollis rolling her eyes and held up another shirt.

"Paso doble," Lydia said, making a face.

"Seriously?" She asked, somewhat defeated in her search for clothes. She glanced at her closet once more and held up a dress. "What about this?"

"Pass, pass, pass on all of it." Lydia got up from the bed and marched over to the closet. She stared at the assortment of clothes and eyed them all with distaste. "God, Allison. Respect for your taste? Dwindling by the second."

With a frown, Allison looked towards Hollis with a pleading look. "A little help here, Hollis?"

Hollis crossed her arms and shook her head. "Hey, you're on your own here. You could've helped me out before but you decided to tease me. So…sorry," she said as a smile tugged at the corners of her lips.

The sound of hangers moving filled the room as Lydia searched the closet for something acceptable. "This," she said finally, yanking out a black shirt and handing it to Allison.

Allison glanced at it, throwing a grateful smile at Lydia and a playful glare at Hollis.

The door swung open then and the girls looked up as Mr. Argent walked in.

"Dad, _hello_?" Allison said, crossing her arms.

"Right. Sorry, completely forgot to knock," he said.

"Hi, Mr. Argent," Lydia said. She plopped down on the bed, striking a model-like pose.

Hollis nudged her, shaking her head.

"Dad? Need something?" Allison asked.

"Just wanted to tell you that you'll be staying in tonight," he said.

"What? I'm going out with my friends tonight," Allison argued.

"Not when some animal out there is attacking people," Mr. Argent said.

"Dad-"

"It's out of my hands. There's a curfew. No one's allowed out past ten P.M.." He threw a look around the room. "You girls should stay in, too. Until this animal is caught, it's not safe out there."

Allison pointed to his jacket, clearly not done. "You're going out."

"I'm over eighteen," he said with a sigh. "No more arguing." With one last look around the room, he left.

Lydia stood up and moved over to Allison. "Aren't we daddy's little girl?"

"Maybe it's not such a bad idea to stay in," Hollis started. "We could-"

"Sometimes. But not tonight," Allison interrupted. She went to the window and opened it, allowing for a cool breeze to enter the room. With a mischievous smile, she looked towards Hollis and Lydia before slipping out onto the roof.

With a look at each other, the girls went to the window and stared in awe as Allison launched herself off the roof and landed on the lawn with a perfect backflip.

"How did…" Hollis started.

"Eight years gymnastics, emphasis in uneven bars," Allison explained. "You two coming?"

"We'll take the stairs," Lydia answered. "You still need that ride?" She asked, turning towards Hollis.

"Yeah, thanks," she said.

[- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -]

"So, then x would equal seventeen," Stiles said as he scribbled on the paper that was already covered with different equations. He looked up to see that her mind was elsewhere. "Hollis?"

"Sorry." Hollis snapped out of her thoughts and briefly looked down at the solved problem. She moved the paper around so she could read it but what stared up at her was a bunch of letters and numbers that made no sense whatsoever. "This is hopeless. I told you I'm horrible at this."

Stiles shook his head at her words. "It's not hopeless. You just need to...Look." He turned the paper over and wrote down a simple equation. He waited until she saw the problem and continued. "You just need to get rid of this three that's being added to the x by subtracting it from itself. Do the same on the other side and then we have the answer. X equals five." He wrote it out slowly and looked up, watching her take in the problem. "You always need to get x alone. Get it?"

Hollis tilted her head. With narrowed eyes, she went over what he did in her head and nodded slowly. "Kind of, yeah."

"Ok, good." He wrote down another problem and flipped the paper so that it faced her. "Solve that the same way. But instead of subtracting, you just add it," Stiles explained, looking over at her. "You can do this, Hollis," he told her confidently.

With a sigh, she picked up her pencil and looked at the previous equation for guidance. "So... x equals nine?" Unsure, she looked over at him.

"Yeah!" He said with a grin. "Just remember that every time you solve one of these. Here's another one." Stiles wrote down yet another equation and handed it to her.

The problem that stared up at her was more complex than the previous two. She frowned at it, willing herself to focus. "Ok, wait…. Why is there a number in front of the x?" She asked in a panic as she looked up.

Stiles laughed but before he could reply, a waitress appeared by their table. "Can I get you a refill on those drinks?" She asked them.

"Sure, thanks," Hollis answered, handing her the empty glass.

"And another refill of curly fries," Stiles added with nod. "We'll probably be here a while," he joked with a look at Hollis.

Hollis threw a crumbled piece of paper at him. "Hey! I'm trying my best here," she said and laughed.

"I'll be right back." The waitress smiled at them before leaving to get their order.

"Do we seriously need another refill of fries?" Hollis asked.

"It's an u _nlimited_ refill, Hollis," he explained. "You can't have too much. It's not possible."

She rolled her eyes as she tapped her pencil on the table. "My dad won't have a reason to come here for dinner if I'm stuffed up on fries."

Stiles shrugged, happily taking a curly fry from their previous order and popping it in his mouth. "Who said they were for you?" He joked.

Narrowing her eyes, she glared at him before laughing softly.

The waitress returned with their order, placing down the drinks and a fresh order of curly fries on the table. "If you need anything else, let me know," she told them.

"Thanks." She reached for her soda and took a sip of the cold, sweet liquid then went back to the math problem. "So, I just…what do I do?" Hollis asked. She looked back to the old problems but they were simpler than the one she currently had to do.

Stiles cleared his throat, glancing down at the equation he wrote out. "Just, uhm…do the same thing as before. Subtract this number from both sides and…." He paused, watching as she slowly started to solve it. "Yeah, that's it."

Hollis stopped working and pushed the paper towards him, a look of uncertainty on her face.

Stiles looked at it and then back at her with a big smile. "You got it."

"Really?" She exclaimed with a laugh.

"Yep. One more and then we'll take a break, ok?" Stiles wrote yet another equation down and patiently waited for her to solve it. When he checked her work, his smile grew. "You did it. With a little more practice, you'll pass that quiz." He reached for the curly fries and pushed the plastic basket towards her. "I suppose you can have a few. You did solve that problem."

She eyed the fries with a smile and took one. Breaking it in half, she put half of it in her mouth and slowly chewed as she looked around. The TV that played in the corner of the room caught her attention and she gestured towards it. "Isn't that your dad?"

Stiles looked over his shoulder and nodded when he caught site of the news. "Yeah, yeah. They're trying to get people to stay inside until whatever's out there is caught." He turned back towards her and reached for the fries.

"Do you really think it's a mountain lion?" Hollis asked after a moment.

"Well, I…I guess. That's what they're saying."

"I know what they're saying but…." She paused and took a tentative sip of her drink. "Do you know if Laura Hale the first animal attack victim?"

"I think so, yeah. Why?" He asked.

"It's just that…" Hollis trailed off with a sigh. Reaching into her bag, she pulled out her phone and the screen lit up with one touch. "I need to show you something," she said as she searched her phone. Finding what she was looking for, Hollis handed the phone to Stiles.

He lowered his eyes to the phone and they grew wide as he looked up at her. "Isn't this…?"

Hollis nodded. "Yeah." She leaned forward and moved the phone in his hand so that she could see the image. Sliding her finger across the screen, she moved onto the next picture. From where she sat, she could see the five distinct scratches in the paint. "The police said that it was just an accident caused by slippery roads or something like that," Hollis explained. "But they didn't even mention those scratches."

"Hollis," he said, looking from the picture to her. "What do you remember from that night?"

"Not much, to be honest," Hollis said and shrugged. "One minute we were driving and the next we just…crashed." She rested her head on her hand and turned her attention towards the window, which had turned into a translucent mirror. The interior of the pizza place was reflected in the glass as was her reflection but she could still see out into the night. Headlights passed by in a bright blur, illuminating the parking lot each time. Although she looked out the window, her attention was on the accident. It was permanently etched on her mind and, even though she could remember how she felt during the time, there were a lot of details missing. "The paramedics said my step-dad died instantly, my mom a few minutes later and…" Hollis blinked back the tears before she looked towards Stiles with a weak smile. "I was unconscious for the better part of it."

Frowning, Stiles moved his hand towards her and hesitated a moment before placing his hand on top of hers. "Sorry, Hollis, I shouldn't have asked that."

Hollis shook her head. "Don't be. I'm the one who brought it up," she told him. "I don't even know why I did. I guess I was just trying to find a reason for the crash. Something other than a slippery road, you know?"

"I get it, yeah," he answered. "You wanted answers." He looked down at the black screen of her phone, staying quiet as he did so. "Can you send me that picture? I'll, uh, I'll see if my dad knows anything about it. Maybe something that was left out of the report."

"Really?" Hollis asked, the surprise evident in her voice.

"Yeah," he said with a nod. "I'll let you know if I find anything."

"That'd be great, thanks." She looked towards the entrance and a smile lit up her face. "My dad's here."

Stiles looked over his shoulder towards the man who walked in their direction. At the same time, they glanced down at the table where they realized their hands were still clasped. Quickly, they pulled away just as he stopped by the table.

"What's going on here?" Grant asked, nodding towards the notebooks that littered the table.

"Math," Hollis answered, wrinkling her nose. "Stiles is helping me," she said with a look his way.

"Yeah, we've just been studying," Stiles added, nodding. "But I should get going. You have dinner plans and…" he trailed off as he started to gather his stuff.

Grant turned towards him with a smile. "No, stay. You should join us."

Stiles glanced at Hollis before turning to her dad. "Uh, okay, if you're sure. Thanks," he said with a smile.

Grant slid into the seat beside Hollis, who quickly cleared the table of all notebooks, papers and pencils. "I don't know about you two but I'm starving," he said, reading for the menu.

[- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -]

"Dinner's on me," Grant said, taking the check from the waitress. "Put your money away," he said to Stiles as he pulled his card out of his wallet. He handed it to the waitress, who returned moments later with the receipt.

Once they gathered their stuff, the three made their way towards the exit. The cool night air felt nice, although a chill passed through each of them.

"Thanks again for dinner, Mr. Griffin," Stiles said.

"No problem," Grant said with a smile.

Hollis hugged her thin jacket closer to her body and moved a few strands of hair out of her face. "So, I'll see you at school tomorrow. Thanks for your help with Algebra."

"Yeah, yeah. Anytime," Stiles said. "I'll see you tomorrow. Bye."

"Drive safely," Grant said to him before steering Hollis towards the parking lot and to their car. Once they were in the car, he pulled out of the parking lot and onto the street. "Stiles seems like a nice kid," he commented.

Hollis nodded, resting her head against the seat. "Yeah, he's a good friend."

"So, did I interrupt something before when I came in or…?" He asked, a smile playing on his lips.

Hollis tilted her head with a shrug. "What do you mean? We were just studying."

"Are you sure that's all it was?" He questioned, throwing a look her way. The smile he wore let her know exactly what was on his mind.

Hollis rolled her eyes and turned her attention towards the window. In the side view mirror, the pizza place diminished in size until it was no longer visible. She watched the trees and buildings go by in a dark blur, not knowing what exactly she was looking at.

"Hollis," Grant said with a laugh. "Come on, I'm not blind. I saw the handholding when I came in."

"I—" She turned towards him; annoyed by the smile he wore. "It was nothing. We're just friends," she said quickly.

Grant chuckled. "It didn't look like nothing," he continued.

"Ok, dad, please stop." She sighed and shook her head. "Can we talk about something else? Like, I don't know, the weather or the animal attacks or that Derek Hale is back in town. Did you know he was back?"

An almost panicked look appeared on is face; a look that Hollis missed. He cleared his throat and kept his eyes on the road. "I-I heard he was back, yeah. I'm surprised he returned," he said casually, throwing a look her way every few seconds.

Hollis nodded as she picked at the chipped nail polish. "I know right? After losing almost all of his family in that fire, I didn't think he'd come back. It's terrible about what happened."

"Yeah, it is," Grant said quietly with a nod.

She looked his way and raised an eyebrow. "Are you ok?"

"Yeah, I'm…fine. I just, I remember the fire when it happened. I was coming home for lunch when I saw the smoke. It wasn't until later that I heard what happened."

Hollis studied her dad with uncertainty. "You sure everything's ok?"

Grant sighed and turned to her with a small smile on his face. "I'm fine, Hollis. I knew his family so talking about this just brings up bad memories."

"Sorry, I didn't know that." She stayed quiet for the next couple minutes, keeping her gaze out the window. "Any idea who could have started the fire? I mean, did they have any enemies or was it just a freak accident?"

He remained quiet, almost as if he hadn't heard her. When Hollis was about to speak up and voice her question again, he spoke. "No. No one knows," he said. "But let's not talk about this right now, ok?"

With narrowed eyes, she studied him. She was curious about his past with the Hales but, as much as she wanted to push the subject further, she knew that it would be best to let it go…for now. The conversation took a more pleasant turn. As they drove home, they each spoke about their day. Pretty soon, the topic of the Hale fire was forgotten as the subject continued to shift from one thing to the next.


	15. Chapter 15

_Here are the next two chapters. :) Thanks to everyone who's reviewed, followed and favorited. Enjoy!_

* * *

"Thanks for giving me an extension. I _promise_ to turn something in soon," Hollis said, readjusting the strap of her bag.

"Just don't wait too long, Hollis. I'm already making an exception for you," Mrs. Carrillo said and uncrossed her arms.

With a nod, she took a step back and entered the hallway. As always, it was packed with students going to their lockers, walking with friends and doing everything and anything possible to make it difficult to maneuver through. Hollis made it around the corner, catching sight of Jackson just as another figure walked away. Curious, she stopped beside him but her eyes trailed after the mystery visitor.

"What was that about?" Hollis questioned when she turned to look at him.

"Nothing. Don't worry about," Jackson said with his usual tone.

Rolling her eyes, she sighed. "Right, I forgot. Having a conversation with you is impossible."

He looked at her, the glare evident in his eyes. The set of his jaw suggested that he wanted to respond but, after a second, his gaze softened and he shook his head. "Sorry," he said, surprising them both.

A smile tugged at her lips and she laughed. "Did you just apologize? _You_?"

"Shut up, Hollis," he said although a faint smile showed on his face. He leaned against the locker, looking in the direction the other person went in. "But it was some tweaker looking for McCall. Whatever he's using, that guy looks like crap."

"Scott's not on drugs," she stated.

"Well, he's using _something_. How else can you explain that he's better at lacrosse?"

"Practice and hard work?" Hollis suggested, only to get a scowl from Jackson.

"And bowling? He started out horrible and then he kept getting strikes the entire night."

She tilted her head. "Jackson, I'm pretty sure it's impossible to cheat at bowling. And lacrosse. Whatever it is, it's not drugs." The answer didn't seem to satisfy him because his scowl deepened. Ignoring his attitude, Hollis looked past him. "But I'm pretty sure that 'tweaker' was Derek Hale. Why would he be here, though?" She asked, more to herself than to him.

Jackson shrugged in a way that let her know he didn't know or care. "No idea."

Hollis fought the urge to roll her eyes at him. "Anyway, as usual, it was great talking to you," she said sarcastically but smiled.

She moved away from him and turned down the corner. Her eyes searched the many students that occupied that small space but she was unable to see where Derek had gone…if it had been him in the first place. After a quick search, she gave up and turned towards the stairs. A smile stretched across her face at the sight of Lydia and Allison and, she quickened her pace towards them. Hollis reached them but missed the first step and stumbled before she grabbed onto the railing.

"Watch your step," Lydia said at the same time that Allison asked, "Are you ok?"

Hollis laughed and nodded. "Yeah. I kinda didn't see that." She straightened her bag then turned to her friends with a smile. "So, what are we talking about?"

"Allison's study date with Scott this afternoon," Lydia said. "But we all know that just studying never ends with just studying. It's like getting into a hot tub. Somebody eventually cops a feel."

Hollis rolled her eyes while Allison's cheeks flamed up in a blush.

"So, what are you saying?" Allison asked, trying and failing to keep the embarrassment out of her voice.

"I'm saying make sure he covers up," Lydia stated. When Allison looked confused, she sighed. "Hello, Snow White! I'm talking about a condom."

"Lyd, isn't it a bit too soon?" Hollis asked.

"Are you kidding? After one date?" Allison questioned, equally as surprised as Hollis.

"Well, don't be total prudes, you two," Lydia said with a shake of her head. "I didn't wait with Jackson. Allison, you have to give him a little taste."

Unsure, Allison looked from Hollis to Lydia. Although the pink in her cheeks had subsided, she still looked nervous. Uncomfortable. "How much is a little taste?"

"Oh God. You really like him, don't you?" Lydia asked, sighing.

Hollis smiled and nudged Lydia. "Come on, you know you're happy for her," she said, to which Lydia remained silent although a small smile stretched across her lips.

With a dreamy look, Allison shrugged. "Well, there's just something different about him. When I first got here I had this plan: no boyfriends until college. I move too often. But when I met him, he was different. I can't explain it."

"I can. It's your brain flooding with phenylethylamine," Lydia said, matter-of-factly.

"What?" Allison asked, looking towards Hollis for a definition.

"I _think_ what Lydia's trying to say is that your in love," she said. When Allison's blush and dreamy look returned, she laughed and linked arms with her. "Aw, I'm sorry, am I embarrassing you?"

Allison rolled her eyes but the corners of her mouth turned up in a smile.

"I'll tell you what to do. When's he coming over?" Lydia asked, breaking through their conversation.

"Right after school," Allison answered to which Lydia nodded, as if that was all she needed to hear.

With Lydia chatting away, the three girls made their way down the hallway. Most of what she was saying didn't reach Hollis since the chatter around them was loud, as was to be expected with students gathering their stuff and talking about after school plans with friends. She looked towards Allison, who nodded to show she was listening but her expression stated that she was lost with whatever it was that Lydia was suggesting. She fought the urge to laugh or make a comment and instead pretended that she was listening as well. When her locker came into view, Hollis left their side after stating that she would see them later. Only Allison seemed to notice her absence, because she looked over her shoulder at Hollis.

[- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -]

By the time Hollis gathered her books from her locker and made it out the double doors into the bright afternoon sun, most of the parking lot was free of cars. But where the spaces were empty, the road wasn't; it was full of idling cars, beeping in aggression to the traffic jam ahead. She eyed the long line of cars waiting to exit the parking lot then looked to her own car, which was directly behind the dozens of cars lined up to leave the school. It seemed that her only choice was to wait it out.

" _Great_ ," she thought with a sigh as she threw her bag into the car. Closing the door, her eyes traveled to what seemed like the beginning of the congestion. It was unusual for there to be traffic in the parking lot and, she wondered what could have caused it. In the end, curiosity won and Hollis moved away from her car.

She took a few steps before she spotted the blue Jeep at the front of the line. The drivers' side door was open with Stiles and Scott standing by the car. When she neared them, she could make out the end of their conversation.

"Get him out of here," Scott said, eyes flashing to the Jeep and back.

"I hate you for this," Stiles mumbled, displeased about something.

"You two realize that you're stopping traffic, right?" Hollis asked, gesturing towards the line of cars whose beeping turned persistent. Her eyes traveled to the Jeep, which seemed to be working just fine. She looked through the open door and to the passenger side seat, which was occupied by Derek Hale. "What's going on?"

"Uh, nothing. Every-everything's fine," Stiles stammered. "Right, Scott?

Hollis looked towards Scott, who just nodded along. "Yeah, yeah. Nothing interesting here."

Crossing her arms, she nodded towards Derek. "Is he ok? Because he looks really sick."

"He's fine. I mean _not_ …fine," Stiles said. "He, uh, he has the flu I think. Or was it a bug that's going around?" He turned to Scott and gave him a look, urging him to talk.

"Stomach bug, I think," Scott answered. "We're taking him to the doctor. Now."

"Ok…" Hollis said slowly, narrowing her eyes. "So, if he's sick, why did he come all the way here looking for Scott rather than go to the doctor by himself?"

"You do know that _he_ can hear, right?" Derek said, his weak voice carrying from the car and to their ears.

Hollis smiled sympathetically towards him and nodded, although he wasn't looking their way anymore. She turned towards the two boys and tilted her head, waiting for them to talk.

"Right. He was…." Stiles started.

"He doesn't have insurance," Scott interrupted, nodding. "So, my mom's a nurse at the hospital and he wants me to see if she can help him." He finished the sentence, which sounded more like a question than anything else.

"Yeah, that's it," Stiles said. A smile lit up his face and he nodded enthusiastically.

"And you're going with him, right? To the hospital, I mean," Hollis said and looked towards Scott. When he nodded, she continued. "Would that be before or after your study date with Allison?"

Wide-eyed, he looked from her to Stiles. "Uh, after. Stiles is going with him now and I'll check on him…later."

Hollis stood quietly. She knew there was something they weren't telling her but didn't know their reasoning behind it. Although she wanted to ask for the truth, the angry students in cars made her think that now wasn't the time for a full Q&A session. With a quick look towards Derek, who seemed to be getting worse by the minute, she sighed. "Ok, well, do you want me to go with you? I can help."

"No!" Stiles shouted, surprising them both. "I meant, thanks but…no," he said with a small smile. "I don't want you to get the flu from him."

"I thought it was a stomach bug," Hollis said, narrowing her eyes.

"Yes! It is. I forgot."

"So, you're not worried that you'll get sick?"

Stiles shook his head. "Nope. I'm immune to it."

"Immune to a stomach bug?" Hollis looked at the two standing before her and briefly to Derek. "Can you guys just tell me the truth? What's going on?"

The two boys exchanged a look before Scott spoke up. "That's…it's the truth. Right, Stiles?"

Hollis looked towards him, half expecting him to tell her the truth but all she got from him was a nod to confirm Scott's words. Regardless of the frown that she now wore, she nodded. "Alright. I'll talk to you later I guess." With that, she moved away from them and back towards her car. She looked back momentarily to see them talking before Stiles got into the Jeep. Shaking her head, she looked away before seeing Allison get out from her car.

"Is everything ok?" Allison asked, looking towards where the Jeep still stood.

Hollis rolled her eyes but forced a smile onto her face. "Yeah, I think so."

"Are you ok?" Allison asked gently.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm ok. Have fun studying," she said with a laugh.

Once she neared her car, the line behind her started to move along although there were still beeps of anger at the cars that moved too slowly. She clicked her seatbelt into place and started the engine, which protested the first couple of tries. Once she pulled out of the spot, her car stalled a few times as she drove through the lot.

"Come on, don't do this to me again," Hollis said, to which the car replied with another short stall. As she turned onto the main road, the stalling had ceased and the car worked normally for the rest of the drive.


	16. Chapter 16

Hollis stood in the stillness of the forest, camera raised to her eye. The forest was still save for the twigs that crunched under her feet, the occasional wind that rustled the leaves and the chirping of birds as they fluttered above. By the time she had gotten home, her dad had been on his way out. Other than a brief greeting, they hadn't had a chance to delve into a conversation other than the basics. Hollis had informed him of the car, who's stalling had ceased on the drive home. The news still disturbed him, seeing as how the car had just been repaired a little over a month ago. He had advised against going out but Hollis was itching to get some pictures taken. She didn't want to disappoint Mrs. Carrillo, considering the generous extension she had given to her.

Her submission to the literary magazine was long overdue but she still had a chance. Although she hadn't been certain if she wanted to enter anything at the start of the year, that doubt had faded. Now was her chance to get a piece of her work published, even if only the students and faculty who would see it. It was still _something_ , though. A short story accompanied by a picture of her own taking would be perfect, just like Mrs. Carrillo had suggested a little over a week ago. But the idea for the story was still out of reach and, Hollis knew that the picture would have to come first.

Focusing the lens upward, she took a picture of the tops of the trees. The blue sky was radiant against the now changing leaves that were tinted with reds, yellows and oranges. A smile spread across her face as she quickly set the camera setting to black and white. She snapped another picture then moved away form her spot, eyes searching the area for something else, something…better.

She moved deeper into the Beacon Hills Preserve, moving up to where the view would be more spectacular. Hollis knew that it was a dumb move, considering that the mountain lion was still out there. For all she knew, it was in the forest with her right now, watching her. She shook that thought off despite the chills that went down her back.

When that thought left, another entered. This one seemed to disturb her more than possibly getting attacked by a wild animal. Her mind traveled back to earlier that day in the school parking lot, to the obvious lie Stiles and Scott had told her. They were horrible liars, that much she knew. But that fact they tried to force down that ridiculous story about Derek traveling _all_ the way to the school to get to the hospital was ridiculous.

She felt angry but, most of all, hurt. The reason for their lie was unclear and, even though she wanted to know the truth, it was beside the point. Something was clearly going on and she couldn't help but recall Jackson's earlier words of drugs. It seemed ridiculous but, then again, what could it be?

Lost in her thoughts, she had trekked up the hill. Her boots caught on roots and rocks and slipped on leaves during her walk but she had made it.

"Finally," she said breathlessly, grabbing onto the tree in front of her. She took a second to catch her breath but when she looked forward, her breath caught in her throat. Her previous thoughts of Stiles, Scott and Derek vanished from her mind as she looked ahead. The view from this far up was amazing. The entire town of Beacon Hills was laid out before her, tiny dots that were presumably houses and buildings.

Hollis reached for her camera, too excited to rest. Looking through the lens, she captured the brilliant fall colors that made up the small town. She could surely use this as a start to a story, perhaps darken the image or make certain colors show when she went home. Whatever she would do, she was beyond excited. Ideas for a haunting yet beautiful story revolved around her mind. After she snapped a few more, from every angle and distance, she decided that she had enough.

She quickly looked through the pictures on the small screen to make sure that they weren't distorted. They weren't. Smiling, she put the camera into her bag.

The amount of time it took her to take those few pictures was longer than Hollis had thought. The sky had turned from a bright blue to a darker shade, turning the day into late afternoon. A thought lingered in her mind, an urge to take another picture of the day at its end. It would be beautiful with the different sky colors mixing with the twinkling lights that started to come on down below. But… If she didn't start to head back now then she would be risking the chance of walking the forest at night. With the animal still on the loose, it was dangerous. Her being here right now was dangerous as it was and, being here at night was even more so.

With a sigh, Hollis fought the urge of reaching for her camera aside. But the urge won and, she reached for the camera. A few moments passed as she adjusted the lens and settings then brought it to her eye.

 _It's worth it_ , she thought with a smile as she snapped a picture of a town that would soon be swallowed up by night. She checked the picture and, satisfied, returned the camera to her bag.

Hollis retraced her footsteps, taking the same path back down. The time it took her to walk the length back to the road, to where she had left her car, night had befallen. The beautiful afternoon had turned eerie and dark. The sensation of something, someone, watching her unnerved her. A shiver passed through her as she hugged her jacket closer and quickened her pace to the car.

Once she was inside the safety of the car, she let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. She let out a shaky laugh and told herself she was being silly, paranoid. Taking her keys, she turned on the engine that sputtered to life. Her heart sunk when the ' _check engine_ ' light appeared but when she put the car in drive, it moved along slowly.

"Thank God," she said quietly.

But as those words left her lips, the car halted. She hit the gas but the car stubbornly stood in place. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath and turned the car off. Hollis waited a few seconds before turning the key, only to get a few protests that didn't get farther than that.

"Ok, seriously?" Hollis sighed, resting her head on the steering wheel. "This is _not_ happening right now. Come on, car." She tried to start the car but failed and, after a few tries, she knew it was no use. Pointless.

Unbuckling the seatbelt, she got out of the car and into the dark night that was lit by a few spread out streetlamps that hardly provided any light at all. Popping the hood, Hollis stared determinedly into the engine. All she saw were pieces of metal with wires that connected to other things. What those 'things' were, she had no idea. A few minutes passed before she lowered the hood, the sound reverberating off the street.

Pulling her phone out, she dialed the Armor Tire and Services Center. The phone was answered after a few rings and she sighed in relief when she heard the mechanic's voice.

"Armor Tire. This is Tucker," the young male said.

"Hi!" Hollis said, almost too cheerfully. She cleared her throat then continued. "This is Hollis Griffin. You guys fixed my car a month back or so and…"

"Do you want to pick it up?" He asked, his voice uninterested.

"What? No. I-I already did. But it's been stalling these past few days and the check engine light is on and..."

"Oh, okay," Tucker said and she could picture him nodding. "Well, bring it in and I'll take a look. We're closing soon but if you hurry, you can drop it off tonight."  
Hollis leaned against the hood of the car and sighed. "I can't. The car doesn't even start. I'm stranded on the side of the road and…."

"Right, right. I get it," he said. "Well, uh, then bring it in tomorrow."

She rolled her eyes and shook her head, running her free hand through her hair. "No, you don't get it," she said with a small, humorless laugh. "I _can't_ bring it in. The car doesn't start. Do you think you can send a towing truck or something?"

The sound of him typing on the keyboard flooded through the receiver. He stayed quiet for the better part of a minute and the music from a radio far off was audible. "I can't send one tonight, unfortunately. We're closing soon, like I said. But tomorrow I will, okay? At about ten in the morning."

His words floated around her mind and, she closed her eyes. With a sigh, she opened her eyes and nodded. "Alright, fine."

"Great," he answered and she could hear the smile in his voice. "Anything else I can help with?"

"No, thanks. Bye." Without waiting for a reply, she hung up and shook her head before she put her phone in her pocket.

Her eyes looked around the dark road and towards the forest that looked darker, if that was at all possible. A slight wind picked up, whistling as it rustled the branches and loose leaves that covered the ground. At every snap of a branch, every chirp of a bird, Hollis jumped. She knew she was being silly but, then again, she was stranded on the side of a road…alone and in the dark.

She kicked herself for coming out to take pictures, for having taken so long photographing one scene and for stopping to take that last one. Perhaps if she had been finished earlier and hadn't stopped, she could have gotten a towing truck. But, she hadn't.

Hollis glanced off into the forest, where the sound of faint footprints sounded. The steps were quick, agile. She told herself it was a deer or, to make herself feel better, a bunny. But then a low growl sounded, which threw the bunny theory out the window. Eyes wide, she searched the forest but didn't see anything out of the ordinary. But, upon another look, her eyes caught something that made her heart race: a pair of red eyes staring through the almost bare branches, focused directly at her.

Slowly, she backed up until she stood by the drivers' side door with her hand on the handle. But Hollis knew that the chance of escaping, of driving down the street and being home in a matter of minutes wouldn't happen. She fished her phone out and turned the screen on, illuminating the small area in front of her. She stared at the screen, wondering whom she could call. Her finger hovered over the numbers. Taking a deep breath, Hollis looked back towards the forest. She hoped she had imagined the red eyes but one look told her it wasn't in her imagination. Another growl, louder this time, emanated from the animal. But, she could see that she was only being watched as the animal hadn't moved or attacked.

 _Yet_ , she thought as her heart sped up.

The sound of a car tore her eyes away from the animal. The headlights bright, Hollis shielded her eyes with her hand and willed for the driver to stop, to help. Much to her relief, the car slowed as it approached before it had come to a complete stop. Still blinded by the headlights, she didn't know who it was until her name was spoken.

"Hollis?" Stiles asked, walking around the car and towards her.

She sighed in relief, forgetting the fact that she was upset with him. Hollis closed the distance between them and threw her arms around him, pulling him into a hug.

Clearly surprised, it took him a moment before he hugged her back. "Are you ok?" He held her at arms length, moving a few strands of her hair out of her face. "What happened?"

Hollis nodded with a sigh. "It's a long story. Well, not really long but…." She looked over her shoulder but could no longer see the glowing red eyes. "My car kind of broke down. I came out here to take a few pictures but now I'm stranded."

"Are you sure that's it? You looked freaked out," he said with concern.

A small laugh escaped her lips although it held no trace of humor. "I saw that mountain lion people were talking about. It was back there," she said, looking in that direction again. When she looked up at him, she noticed the worried expression on his face. "At least I think I saw it. I don't know. Maybe it's just my imagination but…" Hollis paused and shrugged.

"What's wrong with the car?" He asked, briefly looking at it.

"It's been stalling but now the 'check engine' light is on. It won't start," she said with a shrug.

"Ok. We should go. Come on, I'll take you home," Stiles said.

"I can't just leave my car," Hollis said.

"I'll call my dad. He'll take care of it, don't worry," he told her with a nod.

Hollis considered this then nodded. "Let me just grab my stuff."

Once she had everything, she climbed into the Jeep and closed the door just as Stiles ended a phone call with his dad. He nodded to her to let her know it would be okay and she relaxed. She still had the faint feeling they were being watched but the fear she had felt earlier vanished. They started down the road with the first couple minutes in silence.

"Why were you out here?" Stiles asked, breaking the silence.

Her head resting against the seat, she looked over at him. "I told you. Pictures," she said and pulled her camera out of her bag for him to see.

"That was…Hollis, you could have gotten hurt." Stiles said, his eyes going from the road to her. "Or worse."

"I know, okay? It was dumb." Sighing, Hollis brushed her hair out of her eyes. "But nothing happened."

"But it could've," he said with a shake of his head. "That animal could have attacked you."

"I'm not even sure if what I saw was real." Hollis thought back to what had been watching her. She could still see its eyes, hear it's growl in her mind. It had been close. With a shrug, she said, "I mean, what kind of mountain lion has glowing red eyes?"

Stiles looked at her with worry but remained quiet, his eyes focused on the road. "Next time, ask someone to go with you, Hollis. Or, you know, me."

Hollis stifled a humorless laugh, rolling her eyes. "Right. Well, I _would've_ asked but you were too busy with…what was it again? Derek's so-called stomach virus?" She looked over at him, remembering the lie he had told earlier. "Or was it a flu? I can't really keep it straight."

"I…what?" He asked nervously.

"Forget it," she said with a sigh, shaking her head.

Stiles frowned. "What's wrong?"

"You _lied_ , Stiles. That's what's wrong." She said angrily yet her face showed the hurt she felt. "Whatever was wrong with Derek and whatever you and Scott were up to was a lie. You two are _horrible_ liars. I just…why couldn't you tell me the truth?"

"Hollis, I-" Stiles said then paused with a look of guilt. "I-I'm sorry. I can't…I couldn't," he said with a sigh, shaking his head. It looked like he wanted to say more but remained quiet.

Hollis played with a loose thread on her bag, keeping her eyes down. "You could've just said that you couldn't tell me, you know." She saw the surprised expression his face and, when he didn't say anything, she continued. "I don't expect you to tell me everything, you know. But you lied and that's _not_ okay. I mean, yeah, I'll be annoyed when you say you can't tell me something but it's better than lying."

"Ok," he said, looking her way. "No more lies."

"Promise?"

"Promise," Stiles said, smiling.

That anger and hurt she had felt towards him faded. Although she wanted to know what he and Scott had been up to, she didn't press further and accepted it. As a smile tugged at her lips, she placed her hand on top of his. "Thanks for helping me out back there. I probably would've been stranded all night," she said with a laugh.

Stiles smiled but shrugged casually. "I'm sure someone else would've shown up to help."

"Yeah, maybe. But I'm glad it was you," she said.

His smile grew and he looked towards the road. A couple quiet yet comfortable minutes passed by before he cleared his throat. "So, uh, what are the pictures for?"

"Oh, uhm, they're for that dumb school magazine," she said, somewhat embarrassed. "Mrs. Carrillo wants me to submit something so I figured I'd write a short story that went along with a picture and…" she trailed off then shrugged.

"That's not dumb," Stiles told her. "It's great. Really great."

Hollis smiled, turning her attention towards the loose string.

"Can I see the pictures sometime?" He asked.

"Yeah," she said, nodding. "I just need to make sure they're not horrible first but after. Definitely."

Her house appeared on her right with the first floor lit up. As soon as Stiles parked in the driveway, the door to the house flung open and her dad appeared. He looked angry yet worried as he walked to the car, waiting for her to get out.

Closing her eyes, she sighed but turned to Stiles. "This will be fun," she said with a small laugh as she unbuckled the seatbelt. "Thanks again."

"See you tomorrow," he said.

When Hollis stepped out of the car, her dad looked towards Stiles. "Thanks for bringing her home." Then he looked at her, his expression angry. "Do you know how stupid that was, Hollis? I _told_ you not to take the car out tonight. You could've gotten hurt."

She opened her mouth to speak but her dad held up a hand, silencing her.

"I don't want to hear it." He shook his head, looking drained. "Just be glad the car didn't break down _while_ you were driving. What was so important that you had to go out anyway?"

Hollis stayed quiet then spoke with a sigh. "I needed pictures for class so I went to the Preserve…"

"The _Preserve_?! With an animal on the loose?" Grant asked, shaking his head in disbelief. He opened his mouth and closed it, deciding against what he wanted to say.

"I'm sorry," Hollis said quietly and his expression softened some. "I know it was dumb and dangerous but..." she paused, sighing.

"I know. Just…later, ok?" Grant said, running a hand down his face. He looked down at her, unable to meet her eye. "We'll talk later."

Nodding, Hollis stepped past him and into the house.


	17. Chapter 17

_Sorry for the wait! Here are the next two chapters so I hope you enjoy :)_

* * *

The clicking of keys on the keyboard were muted by the music that flowed through the headphones. An idea for a short story had formed in Hollis's head after she spent the better part of the morning looking through the pictures she had taken the night before. It was haunting, just like she had wanted it to be but beautiful in it's own twisted way. It was a dark story about fate and how it watched over everyone. The last picture she had taken was just as haunting, a perfect match to the story. As she looked at the overview of Beacon Hills from the top of the Preserve with its twinkling lights and autumn colors against the darkening sky, she knew that it had been worth it.

With one eye on the photo, Hollis typed quickly. She was inspired and determined to finish this. The sooner she completed it, the sooner she would be able to turn it in. The excitement bubbled within her, ready to boil over at any given moment. It was that energy that forced her to keep going, to power through it and return later to edit it…if she didn't hate the final outcome.

As she typed up the last paragraph, the door to her room opened. But she was too busy typing to notice someone enter until one ear bud was tugged out of her ear. Hollis glanced up as if burned and a soft laugh escaped her lips at the sight of her dad.

"You scared me!" she said, pausing her music. "What's up?"

Grant smiled down at her although a hint of anger for the previous night resonated in his face. "I wanted to talk. About last night."

Hollis sighed, knowing this conversation would come up at some point. Her dad had been too angry and worried last night to talk. She didn't blame him, although she had no idea her car would break down. Still, going to the Preserve and walking through the forest alone in the dark was stupid. She knew that now but, with a side-glance at the picture, didn't regret it for a minute.

"Sheriff Stilinksi called last night. He told me your car had broken down but that he would take care of getting it to the mechanic." Grant crossed and uncrossed his arms before he made a move to sit at the edge of the bed. "I wish you had called to let me know, though. I was worried sick when I heard his voice. I-I didn't know what happened to you in the first few seconds of that phone call. I-"

"I know, dad," Hollis intervened. "I'm sorry. I didn't think it through. But, I mean, the car had been acting up for the last few days and," she paused, shrugging. "I didn't think it would just _not_ work, you know?"

Grant nodded as if he understood but he sighed. "But I told you not to risk it, Hollis. If it had happened during the day, then fine. I'm mad because it was late and you were out by yourself with a wild animal on the loose." He ran his hand through his hair and threw a look her way. "It's a good thing Stiles showed up when he did."

"Yeah," she said. "He's a good friend." Seeing the smile on his face, Hollis rolled her eyes in response.

With a chuckle, he nodded towards the laptop. "What are you working on?"

"It's for school," she stated. His silence told her to explain further and, she threw a sideway glance at her unfinished work. "It's actually something that I'm submitting for the school magazine. It's nothing really but…I don't know." She shrugged as a small smile tugged at the corners of her lips.

"Can I see it?" Grant asked, trying to catch a glimpse of it. But before he could see anything, Hollis closed the laptop halfway. He shook his head at her secrecy. "Well, I'll let you get back to whatever it is you're doing."

She watched him get up and head towards the door. "Oh, how's the car?"

Gant turned at the door. "It's being checked out right now. The mechanic said he'd call when it's fixed… _properly_ this time."

Hollis nodded, hoping that it wouldn't be too long.

[- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -]

"You sure you don't want to see the movie with us?" Lydia asked, looking at Hollis through the rearview mirror.

"Thanks but I'll pass. Besides, I already feel like a third wheel," Hollis answered.

When Hollis had been putting the finishing touches to her story, Lydia had called wanting to hang out. She had agreed seeing as she had been cooped up in her room all of Saturday morning. But what she hadn't known when she said yes was that Jackson would be joining them. By the time that Lydia had arrived, with Jackson in the front seat, it had been too late for Hollis to cancel. What she thought would be an awkward evening had turned out to be pretty fun save for Jackson's attitude and their constant bickering.

She stared out the window as the video store came into view. She briefly heard the conversation that sounded more like an argument take place between the couple.

" _Hoosiers_ is not only the best basketball movie ever made, it's the best sports movie-" Jackson started but was interrupted.

"No," Lydia said, barely throwing a look his way.

Unsatisfied, Jackson decided to try again only to get cut off…again. "It's got Gene Hackman and Dennis Hopper—"

But, again, Lydia disagreed, shaking her head.

"I swear to God you'll like it," he said, to which Lydia gave her famous one word answer of 'no'. "I'm not watching _The_ _Notebook_ again."

Hollis stifled the laugh that had turned her lips up into a smile. She shook her head at their argument, wondering how they ever agreed on anything.

"How many times can you watch that movie, Lyd?" Hollis spoke up, breaking the awkward silence. "I know it's good but you should give something else a chance."

"No," Lydia said but, when she looked over her shoulder, she wore a smile. "I'm not watching some sports movie," she said, partly to Jackson who fumed in the front seat.

"Fine. Whatever," he grumbled and got out of the car. The door slammed shut and the girls watched him enter the store.

A flash lit up the car and Hollis blinked back the spots that danced in front of her eyes. She searched for the cause of it and found Lydia holding her phone up. Before she could react, there was another flash followed by Lydia waving the phone in front of her face.

"What do you think?"

"I look possessed," Hollis said with a laugh, pushing the phone away. "Please delete that."

Lydia laughed as she stared at the picture. "Hmm...I look like I'm sleeping. Delete," she said, swiping her finger across the screen. "One more," she said to which Hollis had time to prepare before the picture was taken. "Perfect!" Lydia said cheerfully.

Hollis smiled, catching sight of the picture. It was decent, although the dark interior of the car mixed with the flash from the camera made them weirdly pale.

"Can you check on Jackson?" Lydia asked. Seeing the look on her face, she added, "To make sure he's getting the movie I want. Knowing him, he'll pick out that basketball movie or whatever it was."

"Alright, fine," Hollis grumbled with a sigh.

"Love you!" Lydia called cheerfully as Hollis left the warmth of the car and stepped into the chilly night air.

The bell above the door sounded, disrupting the silence of the store. She stepped further into the room, her eyes searching the aisles for Jackson. After a few seconds, she found him. "Lydia wanted me to…" she started just as he backed up into a ladder and sent it crashing down, nearly missing her in the process. "What the hell?" Hollis took a few steps forward but Jackson grabbed onto her arm, stopping her from taking another step.

"Don't," he said, shaking his head.

The fear in his eyes scared her but, regardless of his words, she looked around the aisle. Her hand went to her mouth at the sight of the dead clerk and, the puddle of blood that surrounded him. "Oh my God," she said quietly, closing her eyes to rid herself of the image.

The electricity crackled above before darkness enveloped the store.

Her heart pounded in her chest, her breath becoming uneven with fear. Hollis looked towards Jackson as the sound of movement deep within the store reached her ears. A shelf rattled, threatening to fall as something large moved behind it.

"What…?" she started but he shook his head, signaling for her to keep quiet. When he pulled her behind a shelf, Hollis stayed quiet and listened for other sounds. Her racing heart was loud and, over her labored breathing, she couldn't hear much of anything.

For what felt like hours, they hid behind the shelf. Hollis could hear the loud movements, the rocking of shelves as they were knocked into. Fear consumed her and she jumped at each sound.

Jackson signaled for her to stay still then peered over the stacks of DVDs. When he turned back to her, he grabbed her arm and pulled her up from her crouching position. "Move!" he whisper-yelled, pushing her forward as the shelves behind them started to crash down.

With her heart in her throat, Hollis moved forward but tripped and landed hard on the floor. Her head collided with the bottom shelf and pain blinded her vision. She blinked the blurriness away, disoriented as the crash of shelves echoed all around them, breaking the frightening silence.

A low growl sounded behind her; the same growl she had heard the night before at the Preserve. She knew what it belonged to without having to look. Fear flooded her but she looked over her shoulder to find the aisle littered with DVDs and the debris from the shelves. Jackson was pinned under a shelf, with a large animal above him. "Jackson?" she said, her voice a brittle whisper.

The animal looked in her direction then; the same red eyes bore into her. With quick movement, it was by her side. The growls emanated from the animal and, she could feel its hot breath on her neck. She wanted to push herself up and run but she was frozen with fear not to mention weak from the fall. Her blood turned to ice, feeling the animals' presence next to her.

"Please," she whispered as her eyes caught sight of the claws that were raised above her head. "Don't."

As if it understood her, the animal retreated with a low growl. Seconds later, the window shattered with a deafening crash, glass raining down as it escaped into the night.

Letting out the breath she had been holding, Hollis picked herself up from the ground. Her head throbbed and she felt banged up from the fall but, other than that, she was fine. She made her way over to Jackson, who didn't appear to be injured given the circumstances.

"You ok?" He asked, letting her help him up.

Hollis nodded although she still felt shaky. "Yeah, I think so."

The sound of sirens broke through the silence, getting louder each second. She turned her attention towards the broken window where the bright red and blue lights illuminated the dark night.

"Their timing is great," Jackson said sarcastically, moving towards the door.

She followed him, biting her tongue against throwing a comment his way.

Once they stepped out into the cool air, Lydia ran towards them both and pulled each into a hug.

"Are you ok?" Lydia asked, her cool composure having been replaced by one of panic. When they both nodded their answer, she hugged her arms around herself. "Hollis…you're bleeding."

Hollis moved her hand to her forehead, where the cut stung underneath her fingers. The gash on her head was semi-dry with blood that stuck to her fingers. "Oh, it's nothing. I'm fine, I swear."

The police cars pulled in and were now parked haphazardly across the lot. The blinding lights changed color every second, creating a surreal atmosphere.

A paramedic took them each to be looked over while the police officers asked them questions. Hollis sat on the back of the ambulance, watching the scene before her. Countless of questions were directed at her by the deputy. As her cut was tended to, she answered them as best she could, each answer followed by another question and another. Her head hurt from the events of that night and, she winced as the wound was cleaned.

Finally, the medic left her side after suggesting that she get checked over at the hospital. Hollis let out a sigh and ran a hand through her hair. Images of the event flashed through her mind, making her wonder why the animal hadn't attacked. She was happy it hadn't but she was curious that it retreated after having killed the store clerk.

At the sound of her name, Hollis turned to see Stiles making his way towards her through the crowd. Sliding off the ambulance, she took a couple steps towards him.

Before she could say a word, he pulled her into a hug. Hollis welcomed the hug and wrapped her arms around him. When he pulled back, he looked her over with concern. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm ok. A bit bruised but...fine," she answered, nodding.

He noticed the bandage that covered the bruised cut. "You're hurt," he stated and touched it gingerly as not to hurt her more.

"It's just a bump on the head," Hollis said with a shrug. "I think I need a couple stitches, or at least that's what the EMT said."

Stiles nodded but his eyes grew wide at the word 'stitches'.

"But I'm _okay_ ," Hollis said, trying to convince him.

He sighed and looked towards the video store then back to her. "What happened?"

"I-we stopped to get a movie. Jackson and I went in but the guy was…there was so much blood…" Hollis trailed off, picturing the dead clerk on the floor. Her vision blurred by the tears, the reality of that night having just hit her. She shook her head with a sigh, blinking back the tears.

"I'm glad you're okay. Well, you're _not_ okay, you're hurt but…." Stiles trailed off, pulling her into another hug. They stood like that for a few seconds before Jackson's angry voice carried towards them. Although the hug ended, Stiles kept an arm around her shoulders. She leaned into him as she looked in the direction of the yelling.

"Why the hell can't I just go home?" Jackson asked. The scared expression was now replaced by a scowl as he looked at the Sheriff.

"I'm sorry, but the EMT's tell me you hit your head pretty hard and they need to make sure you don't have a concussion," Sheriff Stilinksi explained calmly.

Hollis glared in Jackson's direction, all the respect she had for his behavior in the store vanishing with each word that left his mouth.

"What part of _I'm fine_ are you failing to grasp here? I want to go home."

The Sheriff put up his hands, keeping his voice low. "I understand—"

"No, you don't understand. Which kind of blows my mind since it should be a pretty basic concept for a minimum wage rent-a-cop like you. _I just want to go home_!" Jackson yelled.

"Jackson, can you please just shut up just let him do his job?" Hollis asked. "We all want to go home but you're not making things any easier."

Jackson turned on her, a glare set on his face. "I'm _trying_ to speed things up. Something these so-called cops don't know how to do."

"I didn't think it was possible but that bump on the head turned you into an even bigger jackass than before," she retorted.

"Hey, is that a dead body?" Stiles asked with interest, interrupting Jackson who started to reply to her words.

Everyone looked towards the gurney that carried the dead clerk. Her breath caught in her throat at the sight of it, which seemed to make it all the more real.

Seeing the frown on her face, Stiles frowned as well. "Oh, crap. Sorry, Hollis. I didn't think…are you ok?"

Hollis nodded silently and looked away as the gurney was loaded into one of the ambulances. Much to her relief, Jackson stayed quiet although he stood with a glower, impatient at how long this was taking.

"Hollis!"

She turned towards the voice and saw her dad make his way through the crowd, towards her. Hollis moved away from Stiles, letting her dad pull her into a tight hug.

"Dad? I can't breath," she said after a couple seconds.

Grant pulled away and looked down at her with concern. "I heard what happened. Not the whole story but that doesn't matter. Are you hurt?"

Hollis pointed towards her head with a small smile. "I just need a couple stitches. I'm okay, though."

He still looked worried but let out a relieved sigh. "How do you get yourself into these situations?" he asked, shaking his head in disbelief. "Thank God you're okay, Hollis. It doesn't look too bad, though so that's good." Grant looked at the scene before them, the smashed store window and the wreckage inside. He shook his head and looked away, trying not to picture what _could've_ happened. When he noticed Stiles, he smiled. "Where you here when it happened?"

"Oh, uh, no. I was with my dad, you know, when the call came in," Stiles answered with a nod.

Grant nodded at the answer. "Thanks for being here for her," he said gratefully.

"Yeah, yeah. Of course," Stiles replied, smiling.

"Well," Grant said, clearing his throat. "Let's go get those stitches," he said to Hollis.


	18. Chapter 18

Hollis stepped into the house, the door closing behind her with a soft click. Her eyes took in the room, seeing the familiar layout of the furniture and decor. But there was something different. It hung in the air, cloaking the place in something dark. She had sensed it the day before when she had stepped into the Martin household. It was like what they had experienced on Saturday had followed them home, to the corners of their home. Hollis felt it in her home as well except that darkness had been there for quiet some time. It had seeped into her home the day her world had collapsed in on itself just over three months ago. Overtime, lightness had pushed it away but, lately, it seemed as if it had returned bigger and darker than ever.

A sigh fell from her lips as she turned to look at Mrs. Martin, who looked at her with the same kind expression as she had since she had first stepped foot in the house. A smile graced her face as she nodded in the direction of the stairs.

"She's upstairs. Resting," Mrs. Martin told her, her hands clasped in front of her.

Hollis glanced towards the stairs that led to the second floor, the way towards Lydia's room memorized. With a smile, she nodded. "I'll only be a minute."

Mrs. Martin nodded her approval and left, disappearing down the hall possibly towards the kitchen.

She walked towards the stairs, taking two steps at a time. When she reached the top, Hollis crossed the hall towards Lydia's room. She knocked softly before she turned the knob, opening the door with a slight creak.

"Hey, Lyd," she said quietly as she stepped inside.

Lydia glanced in her direction, a smile working itself onto her face. "Hey."

"How are you?" Hollis asked. She crossed the room then sat down on the edge of her bed.

Lydia shrugged, managing to sit up and rest against the headboard. "Okay, I guess." A faraway look appeared in her eyes but when she looked towards Hollis, she smiled. "I'm fine, don't worry."

Hollis nodded, although she didn't buy her act at all. She had known Lydia for years and could read her like a book; see between the lines of every little shrug and facial expression. Nothing went past her and the same could be said for Lydia.

"What about you?" Lydia asked, staring intently at her. "How's your head?"

"It's fine," Hollis answered truthfully. "It's still bruised but it'll heal soon." She glanced around the room before turning to her. "So I'm guessing you won't be in school today?"

"I'm taking a personal day," Lydia answered. "I'll just be watching movies and doing absolutely nothing all day. Feel free to be jealous," she added with a wink.

Rolling her eyes, Hollis smiled. "Well, if you need anything, just call," she told her. "If you want to talk about what happened—"

"I don't," Lydia interrupted, shaking her head. "There's nothing to talk about."

Raising her eyebrow, she tilted her head in disbelief. "Really? Because that's _all_ I can think about." Since that night, they haven't discussed what had happened at all. Jackson returned to his usual pissed off self while Lydia painted on a perfect facade. Although Hollis was still shocked by the events, she was itching to discuss it. To figure out _what_ had actually happened.

Lydia opened her mouth to speak but decided against it. Instead, she looked down at her hands, admiring her manicure.

Forcing a small smile, she reached for Lydia's hand and squeezed. "It's okay to talk about it. You told me that after my parents…" she trailed off and cleared her throat.

"I _can't_ talk about," Lydia told her, shaking her head. She looked at her with a pained expression, the pretense fading from her features. "I can't…. If I do, then I keep thinking about how I forced you and Jackson to go into that store. If I hadn't suggested a movie night then…"

Hollis shook her head. "Ok, don't do that, Lyd," she said seriously. "It's not your fault so don't go blaming yourself. You had no idea what would happen. And you didn't force us. What happened wasn't your fault. We were just in the wrong place at the wrong time."

Lydia nodded although she still looked distant, broken. "I guess," she said with a shaky breath. "Then when that _thing_ crashed out the window...I saw," she began.

Curiosity flooded through her. Hollis looked at her questioningly, hoping for Lydia to confirm that what she saw hadn't been her imagination. She hoped for them to finally talk about it rather than pretend it hadn't happened. "What did you see?"

Lydia stayed silent, the faraway look returning to her eyes.

"Lyd?"

She looked back towards Hollis. "A mountain lion," she said simply.

"Are you sure? Because that didn't really look like one," Hollis stated. "I saw it, too."

"It was a cougar," Lydia told her confidently.

"That's the same thing," Hollis said with a sigh, knowing very well that Lydia knew it, too.

With a shrug, Lydia leaned across the bed and reached for the prescription bottle that sat on the nightstand. She popped the top off, shaking two pills out onto her hand.

"You're still taking that?" Hollis asked with a frown. "Shouldn't you just take one? I mean, you've taken them yesterday."

"Yeah, it's fine," Lydia told her. "It says two every four to six hours," she said, waving the bottle in front of her face. She downed them with water before leaning back against the bed.

Hollis nodded. She was unconvinced about her answer and the mountain lion story Lydia forced herself to believe, although worry for her friend outweighed it all.

The medicine took effect almost right away, her eyes becoming drowsy as she turned back to her. "I feel shleepy," Lydia mumbled and rested her head against the pillow. "Can you hand me my-my…phone? I want to text Alli. It's her birfday,"

Hollis nodded and grabbed the phone from the nightstand. But when she turned to give it to Lydia, she noticed her friend had dozed off. "I'll check on you later," she said quietly, standing up.

The phone buzzed in her hand and, when she glanced down, she saw it was a message from Jackson. Debating on replying to him that Lydia wouldn't be in school, she unlocked the phone. It appeared that Lydia had been looking through her pictures prior to Hollis arriving as an album of photos stared up at her. She went to close the gallery but a recent video caught her eye. Curious, she glanced towards Lydia to make sure she wasn't awake and played it. What she saw made her heartbeat quicken. The dark shape crashed through the window and stood up on two legs, it's red eyes glowing against the dark night. She paused the video, knowing that this was anything _but_ a mountain lion. No wonder Lydia was in the state she was in if she watched this.

Lydia stirred in her bed but was fast asleep when Hollis looked towards her. Hollis sent the video to herself, her heart still beating fast. It wasn't until she felt her own phone buzz that she placed Lydia's phone down. With one last look at her sleeping friend, she left the room feeling worried.

[- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -]

Standing in front of her locker, Hollis stared at the titles, not really seeing them. Dozens of thoughts swam in her mind at a great speed, unwilling to slow despite her pleas. She shook her head, shaking the thoughts free. The roar of questions had quieted down but a few clung to the side of her mind, unwilling to let go. She blinked and, the titles came into focus. Hollis took the few she would need before she closed the door with a clang that was swallowed up by the noise. Hollis walked through the maze-like hallway, squeezing past students who appeared in no rush to get to their class. She rounded the corner, not seeing Jackson until it was too late.

"Watch it," Jackson muttered with irritation but, when he saw who it was, his expression softened.

"Sorry," she said with a small smile.

Jackson nodded at her apology. "Heading to Chem?"

"Unfortunately," Hollis said with a sigh, wrinkling her nose. "I wish I could skip but it would just be another thing for Harris to use against me at the parent/teacher thing tonight."

"I know what you mean," Jackson said with a grin and started to walk down the hall with her by his side. Throwing a look her way, he asked, "Have you seen Lydia?"

"Yeah, I checked on her this morning. She's taking a day off," Hollis told him. When he didn't answer, she continued. "Lydia's still thinking about what happened. I think it's bothering her more than she lets on, you know? I can't blame her though."

He nodded, his attention a bit unfocused at the change in topic. "She'll be fine," he told her.

She smiled softly in response, shifting the books in her hand. "What about you? Are you ok?" she asked, noticing that he looked tired, almost defeated as he walked next to her. Although he still had that same Jackson scowl on his face, she could sense a change about him.

"I'm fine," Jackson answered quickly, without giving the question much thought. "You hit your head pretty hard, though. How are you doing?"

"A bit bruised but ok," Hollis said as her fingers traced over the wound. Now that they were on the topic of the attack, she wanted to stay on it before it slipped from her grasp. "Can I ask you a question?" She asked and, when he nodded, she continued. "What exactly did you see that night? I mean, after those shelves fell."

Jackson shrugged and looked away from her. "A mountain lion."

"Are you sure?" Hollis asked, unconvinced. "I was there, Jackson, remember? It definitely didn't look like a mountain lion."

"I don't know. It was dark," he answered, irritation coating his words. But the scowl on his face softened and he shrugged. "But that's what the cops are saying, right?"

Hollis nodded. "I guess. I mean, I don't know," she said with a sigh. "All I'm saying is that it didn't look like one."

"Does it really matter?" His tone grew irritated again and his eyes were hard as he looked over at her. " _Whatever_ it was doesn't matter, just as long as they catch it."

Hollis considered this and knew that, in a way, Jackson was right. Even though it didn't keep the questions at bay or make her any less curious, she decided to drop the subject. They walked on in silence, moving past groups of students. When their classroom came into view, Hollis stopped mid-walk. "Hey."

He stopped alongside her and raised an eyebrow questioningly.

"Thanks," Hollis said with a smile. "For pretty much saving me in that store. I don't think I said it before so, thanks."

Jackson nodded, a small smile finding its way onto his face. "Yeah, sure."

The bell rang, bringing their conversation to an end and leaving them alone as the last students ducked into their classrooms. All eyes were on them when they walked inside, curious to see who was late. Hollis saw Mr. Harris glance their way and she held her breath, waiting for him to comment on their lateness. She knew he was just dying to chew her out for arriving late but he stayed quiet...for now. Sharing a quick look with Jackson, they both walked to their seats.

"Hey," Hollis said when she took the seat in front of Stiles. "Where's Scott?"

"I don't know. He's not answering his phone," Stiles answered.

"Weird. Allison's missing, too," Hollis said. Pulling her notebook and textbook out of her bag, she placed them down on the desk. "It's Ali's birthday so maybe they're skipping?"

"Maybe. It's not a bad idea," he said.

"Right?" Hollis asked, smiling. "I wish." She sighed, throwing a quick look in Mr. Harris's direction.

Stiles grinned.

"Jackson, if you need to leave early for any reason... You let me know," Mr. Harris said, stopping by Jackson's desk. He turned to Hollis then, the concern on his face quickly fading. "You're late, Miss. Griffin," he told her. "Just adds to the list of things I'll be discussing with your dad at the conference tonight," he said, a trace of a smile dancing across his face.

Hollis sighed, not bothering to point out the unfairness of the situation. With a roll of her eyes, she turned around in her seat.

"Everyone, start reading Chapter Nine," Mr. Harris said, walking to the front of the room. When he stopped, his gaze pierced the room. "And Mr. Stilinksi, try putting the highlighter down between paragraphs. It's Chemistry. Not a coloring book."

Hollis glanced over her shoulder, catching the blocks of paragraphs that were highlighted.

Stiles looked around uncertainly then capped the highlighter. Sensing her gaze, he looked towards her and winked.

With a smile, Hollis turned back to the reading at hand. Her eyes flickered across the page and, she knew it would be another lesson that she didn't understand. Nevertheless, she started to read the words of gibberish that meant absolutely nothing to her. But the further she read, the more confused she became. As the class quieted down, concentrating became easier although she still didn't know what she was reading.

She wrote notes in the margins next to what she didn't understand. Lifting her pen from the paper, she realized that most of what she had read were things she had questions on. With a sigh, she frowned. As Hollis went back to the reading, she only got a few lines in before her attention was redirected to the whispered conversation between Stiles and Danny.

"Danny? Can I ask you a question?" Stiles asked.

"No." Danny answered.

"I'm going to anyway." Stiles told him.

Hollis shook her head and turned back to her reading. She tried to block out the conversation behind her but with Stiles' incessant talking, it was easier said than done.

Bits of their conversation reached her ears; her concentration broken each time she managed to focus. The second question peaked her curiosity, causing her to leave the reading alone. It made her wonder if anyone knew what happened on Saturday. According to Danny, Jackson hadn't mentioned anything. With him and Lydia refusing to talk about it, it didn't seem likely that anyone knew the full extent of what they had gone through.

With those thoughts racing around her mind, Hollis picked her pen up and tried to focus on the Chemistry reading. Lowering her eyes to the page, she reread the short paragraph then started to jot down notes on the information.

"One more question," Stiles said.

"What?" Danny asked, clearly irritated with the questions.

"Do you find me attractive?" Stiles asked.

Hollis stopped in the middle of the sentence, her pen raised above the paper. As a loud silence followed his question, she turned around in time to see Stiles slide off the stool. She narrowed her eyes in confusion when he sat back down and, he met her gaze with a sheepish grin. Rolling her eyes, she exchanged a look with Danny before they each turned back to the reading.

Mr. Harris took control over the rest of the lesson, discussing what they had read for the first half of the class. Although he somewhat explained the material, Hollis was still lost. Even though she paid attention, everything he said and wrote on the board went above her head and beyond. She could only imagine what he would tell her dad at the parent/teacher conference. Hollis could picture it now: how she was late for class, how she clearly never did the homework or that she didn't know any of the answers to his questions.

Once class ended, Hollis and Stiles pushed their way out of the door. As always, the hall was filling up nicely with students and the many conversations blended into one block of noise.

"So," Hollis began, readjusting her bag. She looked over at him before saying, "Danny-"

"What? Oh, I'm not..." Stiles interrupted, shaking has head. "I don't...Not the there's anything wrong with," he stuttered. Stumbling over his words, he formed incoherent and unfinished sentences.

A smile spread across her face at his stammering speech. When she opened her mouth to respond, she couldn't get a word in because he continued to talk.

"I mean, I like y-" Stiles stopped talking, his eyes wide at the words that almost slipped out. He cleared his throat and looked away from her. "Girls. You know, yeah."

Hollis stopped mid-step at the unfinished sentence. It hung in the air between them, despite him having finished it with something else. The break in conversation between them seemed to last for much longer than the actual few seconds. She looked towards him, her heart skipping a beat. "Oh, uhm, I was actually going to say that Jackson hadn't told Danny anything. About what happened Saturday." She changed the topic, hoping to bury those incomplete words that had a clear ending to them. But she could already sense the change they had caused in their friendship.

"Oh, right, right," Stiles said. He cleared his throat, keeping his eyes in front of him. "Yeah, weird since they're best friends. I guess he doesn't want to talk about it."

"Guess so," she said. They continued down the hallway in silence, an awkwardness filling the space between them. She searched her mind for something to break the silence, to make things less weird between them. But her mind was blank and, she mentally kicked herself for not being able to utter one word.

When the silence felt unbearable, Stiles spoke. "So, uh, ready for lunch?" He asked as they neared the cafeteria.

Hollis looked inside, seeing the tables filling up quickly. The smell of food floated in the air and her stomach grumbled but it wasn't audible amongst the noise. With Scott, Allison and Lydia out, it would just be her and Stiles at the table. Jackson definitely wouldn't be joining them seeing as how he grumbled even when Lydia and the others were present. Hollis went to answer but her mind went back to that one unfinished sentence that had packed a punch, making her confused. She recalled her friends teasing, which only added to the confusion she felt. Hollis avoided his gaze and looked anywhere but at him as a wave of nerves hit her. "Actually, I promised Mrs. Carrillo I would see her. Now."

Stiles frowned slightly then forced a small smile. "Ok, that's-that's fine."

"It's about that short story. Remember? I told you about it," Hollis explained, stumbling over her words. "I have to turn it in today. She wants to look it over before she submits it."

He nodded understandingly. "Yeah, I get it," he told her. "I'll see you after school. We're still hanging out, right?"

Hollis had forgotten about their plans. She looked towards him, ready to make up some excuse and cancel but the guilt hit her. Rather than say 'no', she nodded with a small smile. "Yeah." Shifting the books in her hands, she noticed a stack of stapled papers sticking out. Pulling them out, she stared at the story that was now finished. "I promised you could read it. After it was done and...it is so, here's your copy," Hollis said, holding it out for him to take.

"Great, thanks." Stiles took the copy, his fingers brushing hers. "Can't wait to read it," he told her, smiling.

She pulled her hand away at the sudden touch but smiled softly at his words. "I'll see you later," she said quickly.

[- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -]

The remainder of the day had gone by fairly quickly. Apart from Chemistry, the rest of her classes hadn't been too horrible. Her Algebra quiz had been returned, in which she had earned a B- thanks to the help she had received from Stiles a few days prior. The only class that would cause a problem for the parent/teacher conference would be Chemistry but it was just one class. She tried not to worry too much.

Mrs. Carrillo had loved her submission. Although she had a few critiques here and there, she knew that it would get a positive feedback once it was published in the school's magazine. Hollis felt anxious at having her work read by the rest of the students and faculty. But she knew that Mrs. Carrillo wouldn't have lied. At the same time, she was proud of what she had accomplished.

Shutting her locker door, Hollis made her way down the hall and out the double doors that led to the parking lot. The bright afternoon sun blinded her as she squinted at the cars, looking for the blue Jeep. She spotted it a few rows down and started towards it but, when her name was called, Hollis looked over her shoulder towards the familiar voice.

Carter walked towards her, a smile plastered on his face. They hadn't spoken since the day they broke up despite having seen each other around school. She thought about walking away but it was already too late by the time the thought crossed her mind. He stopped in front of her, smiling that 'Carter' smile at her.

"Hey, Hollis," he said.

"Oh, hey, Carter." Readjusting the strap of her bag, she looked towards the Jeep briefly before looking back. "What's up?"

"I just wanted to see how you were," he told her. "I heard about Saturday. I was driving by when I saw all the cops and, I stopped to see what happened and I saw you."

Hollis thought back to that night. She didn't remember seeing him but, then again, there had been a lot of onlookers and she hadn't paid attention to who was there. "Really? I didn't see you there," she told him with a shrug.

"It's fine," Carter said, dismissively. "I was going to see if you were ok but the paramedics were looking you over and then your dad was there. I didn't get a chance," he explained as a look of worry entered his eyes. "So, are you ok?"

Hollis nodded, smiling softly. "Yeah, just a bump on the head." She motioned towards the injury then added, "I only needed a couple stitches."

Carter looked to the cut, which was obscured by her hair. Gently, he raised his hand and moved the few strands of hair aside, revealing the stitched up cut that was bruised.

His hand lingered there before Hollis took a step back at his touch. "Carter…don't."

Carter dropped his hand and nodded. "Right, sorry," he said with a sigh. When she stayed quiet, he cleared his throat and looked at her with a hopeful expression. "Look, I was thinking maybe we could hangout one day. You know, get some coffee and catch up. It's been a while," he said, before adding, "If you want."

His words caught her off guard and, she nodded slowly. "Uh, yeah. Maybe." Hollis looked towards the parking lot, where she found the Jeep again. There was movement inside, which meant that Stiles was already there.

He followed her gaze to the car and spoke before she could. "So, you and Stiles are…?"

"Friends," Hollis finished quickly. A little too quickly.

"Just friends?" Carter asked, raising an eyebrow.

Hollis nodded, slightly unsure of her answer. The words Stiles had uttered earlier that day stuck with her. She tried not to make such a big deal about it considering how he hadn't actually finished the sentence. But, finished or not, they had affected their friendship. And if that didn't mess with her feelings enough, she had Lydia and Allison's teasing words at the back of her mind. "Yeah. Why?"

He shrugged. "I just see you two together a lot. I don't know, you guys look...close."

"Oh." Hollis ran a hand through her hair, throwing a quick smile his way. "Look, I should really get going."

"Ok, yeah. Let me know when you want to get that coffee," he said. With one last smile, he walked away.

[- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -]

Hollis approached the Jeep and, through the window, she saw that Stiles was engrossed in what he was reading. He looked up when she opened the door and, that's when she saw it was the story she had given him earlier. A smile spread across her face before a wave of nerves hit her. Whether those nerves were caused by the fact that he was reading her story or those words that wouldn't leave her alone, she didn't know. Closing the door, she settled into the seat and nodded towards the papers.

"So, did you finish it?" Hollis asked, trying her best to sound casual. "What do you think? It's horrible, isn't it?"

"What? No, it's great," Stiles told her with a definite nod. "I mean, it's dark but that's what you were going for, right?" When she nodded, he continued. "You did a great job describing everything, especially when you used the picture to guide the story. You should be proud. I am."

She smiled. "Really? You liked it?"

He nodded in response. "I read it like three times," he admitted. He flipped to the second page, where the picture she had taken stared up at them. "I can't believe you took this. It's awesome. "

Hollis smiled her thanks, feeling slightly embarrassed over his words.

Stiles put her story away then started the car. As they drove through the lot, he looked over at her. "So, what did Carter want?" He asked casually as he looked from the road to her.

"Oh, you saw us talking?" She asked, her smile fading.

He nodded but kept his eyes on the road. "Yeah. I didn't know you two still talked."

"We don't," she answered, shaking her head. "It was the first time since we broke up. But he just wanted to see if I was ok. I mean, he heard what happened at the store and..." She trailed off, shrugging. "It's no big deal," Hollis added.

[- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -]

"It's kind of a mess, sorry," Stiles said, opening the door to his room.

Hollis stepped in after him, taking in the room and posters hanging on the wall. "No, it's nice," she said. Her eyes landed on a few framed pictures and, she crossed the room to view them. A smile lit up her face at the family that stared up at her, all wearing big grins. "You have her eyes," Hollis said, looking over her shoulder at him.

He smiled but Hollis saw the bit of sadness that lay beneath it. "It was a fun day," he said, nodding. "It was a few months before she got sick."

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have..." She shook her head, putting the picture down gently.

"It's ok," he told her. "Memories are good."

Hollis nodded then let her eyes sweep the room once more. "You listen to _All Time Low_?" she asked, stopping to look at the poster.

"Uh, yeah," Stiles said. "You know, sometimes."

"I loved their last album," Hollis said, remembering how she had it on repeat for the first couple weeks.

"You listen to them?" Stiles asked, surprise lacing his voice.

"Of course," Hollis answered as she walked over to the chair he had pulled up for her. She placed her bag down on the floor before she sat down, looking at the few papers littered the desk.

Silence filled the room, swallowing it up. Hollis could feel the uneasiness of their earlier conversation ease into the air and she fidgeted in her seat. Hollis closed her eyes, hating how those three words had changed everything. But when she looked towards him, she started to wonder if it was only her that felt different. Maybe that unfinished sentence had just been a mistake. Maybe he didn't feel that way. She wasn't sure if he did; she didn't even know how she felt other than confused. Tired of the silence, she searched for something to say to break it. "Oh, guess who passed her Algebra quiz?" Hollis asked happily. "B minus," she told him.

Stiles grinned. "I knew you could do it."

"I would have failed if you hadn't helped. Thanks."

"If you need more help, you know, just ask." He nodded.

"I will. We're doing the foil method or whatever it's called soon and…" she shrugged with a laugh. Twirling a strand of hair around her finger, she wanted to keep the conversation going. To keep her mind off of _whatever_ it was that she felt. Hollis thought back to the conversation she had with Carter, suddenly remembering that she didn't get a chance to tell Stiles everything about Saturday. "Hey, so I didn't exactly tell you the full story of what happened that night. At the store," Hollis said. She recalled that night's events, from what happened when she and Jackson entered the store to when the animal crashed out the window. He listened quietly, intently the entire time, which she was grateful for. "I honestly don't think it was a mountain lion. I don't think Lydia and Jackson do either but no one wants to talk about it," she said with a frustrated sigh. "I get it was traumatic but it's like they're pretending it didn't happen, you know?"

"What else could it be?" Stiles asked, glancing her way. "A bear? It sounds like a bear. We have bears in California."

Hollis considered the bear theory but shook her head. "What kind of a bear has glowing red eyes?" She asked, tilting her head. Tucking her hair behind her ear, she shrugged again.

"Maybe it just looked like it had red eyes," Stiles suggested, although he didn't look convinced either. "You said the lights went off. I mean, it could just be a mountain lion."

"No, it's-" She trailed off when she remembered the video. "I can show you," Hollis told him, reaching down into her bag for the phone. Getting it out, she went to her recent message and pulled up the video. Hitting play, she handed it to Stiles and watched his reaction as he watched it.

His eyes grew wide and, he paused the video. "Hollis…" he looked towards her then at the phone, where the dark figure stood on two legs. "It-I…I guess it could be a bear. I don't know." He looked down at the image again. "Can you send this to me?"

Hollis nodded, taking the phone from him. Once she hit send, her phone rang, startling them both. "It's my dad," she said, looking down at the caller ID. "I'll be right back," she said, going out into the hall. Pressing the phone to her ear, she had a brief conversation with him, telling him she would meet him at the parent/teacher conference. When the call ended, she made her way back towards Stiles' room only to hear him talking on the phone.

"It's me. Again. I found something. Well, Hollis did and I don't know what to do. I don't want her involved in this, Scott. It's too dangerous. If you don't turn your phone back on I'm going to kill you. I'm too pissed off to come up with a witty description of exactly how I'm going to kill you. I'm just _going to kill you._ "

Hollis reentered the room just as he hung up. She looked at him, a confused expression crossing her face. "What was that about?"

"Nothing," Stiles said quickly, a sheepish grin on his face. Seeing the unconvinced look on her face, he sighed. "I…Look, I promised not to lie, Hollis, but I can't tell you." He crossed the room towards her, placing his hands on her arms. "Please just trust me on this, ok?"

Hollis stayed quiet, suddenly aware of his touch and how close he was. Sighing, she took a step back, trying to push away the mixed feelings she felt. Instead, she focused on his conversation with Scott and averted her gaze as she sat down. Swallowing the dozens of questions that she had for him, Hollis nodded. "Ok, I trust you," she said slowly, truthfully. She pushed away her mixed emotions and forced herself to look up at him. "But I need to know that whatever it is that you're involved in that you'll be ok. I don't want you getting hurt," she told him as she tugged at her necklace.

He sat down in the chair opposite her and nodded with a small smile. "I'll be ok. I promise."

"Good. Because I care about you," Hollis told him. "You know, we're friends," she added, ignoring the way the word 'friends' affected him.

A knock at the door made them jump. Hollis was thankful for the interruption, though. The topic was going in a direction she had been avoiding all day and it wasn't one she wanted to get into right now, especially since all she felt was confusion.

Turning, they saw Sheriff Stilinksi enter. A look of surprise appeared on his face at seeing Hollis. But, like always, he smiled.

"Hi, Hollis. I didn't know you were over," he said. "How are you?"

"I'm good, you?" She asked, returning the smile.

"Good," the Sheriff said with a nod. He leaned against the doorframe and looked towards Stiles. "Please tell me I'm going to hear good news at the parent teacher thing tonight."

"Depends on how you define good news," Stiles said.

"I define it as you getting straight A's with no behavioral issues."

"You might wanna rethink that definition," Stiles said and looked over at Hollis with a smile.

Hollis shook her head at their conversation once the Sheriff said, "'Nuff said."

"Dad—"

He paused at the door, looking towards the two of them.

"You guys find out what it was that attacked Hollis, Lydia and Jackson last night?" He asked hopefully.  
The Sheriff shook his head, a frown on his face as he looked at them. "You know I can't talk about that."

"But everybody's thinking mountain lion, right?"

"Or a bear," Hollis added, although she knew it wasn't either of those two.

"It's the best we've got at the moment. We're setting traps, talking to Animal Control," he told them. His eyes rested on Hollis with a caring smile. "You don't have to worry."

"It's not that," Stiles said with a shake of his head. "It's... forget it."

"You sure?" he asked. When Stiles nodded, he left the room.

"You think it's something else, don't you?" Hollis asked once the Sheriff left the room. She sighed at his silence. "You _saw_ the video, Stiles. Just tell me." She looked at Stiles, staring him in the eyes.

"Maybe," he said quietly.

[- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -]

The ride to the school was filled with silence as Hollis thought over the conversation with Stiles. His one answer of 'maybe' changed everything, just like his incomplete sentence had earlier that day. Except now it told her that her train of thought had been correct in thinking it was _something_ else. If it wasn't a mountain lion or a bear, what else could it be? Frowning, she looked out the window.

Stiles reached over and took hold of her hand. "It'll be okay, Hol. I promise," he told her.

Hollis smiled, turning to look at him. She ignored his hand in hers, hating how every little gesture made her heartbeat pick up. "Yeah, I just…. I want answers, you know? _Whatever_ that thing is, I don't think its animal. Or human."

He gave her hand a gentle squeeze. Pulling into the parking lot, he found a space at the end of the crowded lot. They were late; she knew it from the multiple text messages from her dad asking where she was. Together, they walked towards the main entrance of the building. People started to exit the school, filling the area with multiple conversations at once. Amongst the noise, a scream pierced the air, causing them to stop dead in their tracks.

Horrified, Hollis glanced at Stiles. "What was that?"

Stiles shook his head but grabbed onto her arm. They ran forward, against the direction the crowd was going in. A shape moved between the cars, a low growl sounding amongst the chaos. Her heart thudded in her chest as fear crept in. She didn't want to see that animal again, didn't want to hear it or see the glowing red eyes. Once was enough, let along twice. But three times in a row? That was too much for her or anyone to handle.

"It'll be ok," Stiles told her despite the look of panic on his face.

Hollis nodded numbly. Her eyes frantically searched the crowd for her dad or friends but she didn't see them. Her heart sped up, hoping that they were ok and away from whatever was happening.

"Dad!" Stiles said, redirecting her attention to where the Sheriff stood. They watched as the SUV pulled out of the spot quickly, not seeing the Sheriff until it was too late. Hollis closed her eyes as the tires screeched to a halt. It wasn't a bad hit but it still made him go down. "Dad!" Stiles said, panic in his voice.

"Go," Hollis told him. "Make sure he's ok."

Stiles looked from her to his dad before he nodded slowly. "Just stay here. I'll be right back."

She watched him run towards his dad, who was getting helped by the panicked driver. Hugging her arms around herself, she took in the panic, silently telling herself everything would be ok. But, when a mass of people shrieked, her heart sped up. She walked forward despite Stiles having asked her to stay put. As she neared, she saw a group of people backed into a corner by large and dark shape. _Those people_ , she thought, shaking her head.

But before the worst thoughts could consume her, a gunshot rang out. It was louder than anything she had ever heard before and her ears rung from the sound. The screaming stopped just as suddenly as the gun went off. Everyone moved forward, crowding around a dark shape on the ground.

Hollis moved forward on shaky legs. As horrible a thought as it was, she hoped to see that animal on the ground; instead, it was a different kind of animal. A mountain lion. Her breath hitched in her throat and she turned away from the bloody sight of the dead animal.

Stiles was right behind her when she turned, his eyes wide. He put his arms around her, keeping her shielded from the sight. "It'll be ok," he told her quietly.

She nodded, although she knew that it was far from over.


	19. Chapter 19

_I'm horrible at updating, I know. I'm sorry it's taken this long...BUT the chapters were really long. I hope you enjoy them. Thanks so much for the follows, reviews and favorites. It means a lot. I know I always say that but it does so, thank you! _

* * *

The town of Beacon Hills felt at ease. The big, bad mountain lion had been shot down Monday night, lifting the veil of terror that had enveloped the town. Despite what everyone said, Hollis knew that the attacks were far from over. The animal…the _creature_ she had seen at the Preserve and at the video store hadn't been what Mr. Argent had shot. She thought the whole thing had been far too easy and too clean for it to just be over. She didn't know why she felt that way or why she thought that, which was why she kept her thoughts to herself. It was possible that her imagination had run loose, creating these ideas that were just that…ideas.

Tuesday had gone by well although Hollis had still been shaken from the previous night. She couldn't rid herself of the image of the dead animal or the dreaded feeling that this wasn't the end. She couldn't explain it but a gut feeling told her that there was more to the story than everyone in town believed.

Apart from juggling those unsettling thoughts, there had been something else on her mind. Well, _someone_ , else. It was that incomplete sentence that hung in the air like a shroud, making the normality feel twisted. Everything was different; at least it was to her. Perhaps it was another thing that she overthought and let it affect her when, in reality, it could have just been a slip of the words that meant absolutely nothing. Hollis still hadn't sorted out her feelings, which only added to the complication of the situation. All she knew was that she was confused.

[- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -]

Hollis pulled into the parking lot on Wednesday morning. She had her car back and it was working perfectly just like the mechanic said it would. She was thankful that it hadn't taken too long to fix because being immobile the last few days had been torture. Her dad had been cautious in letting her drive that morning despite it being fixed. But he had let her out after her having pointed out they would both be late if they kept up their disagreement.

The radio played quietly while she gathered her belongings. Glancing towards the school building, she let out a sigh, more than ready to for this day and week to end. Once she made sure she had everything, Hollis turned the engine off. A deafening silence filled the interior but it was broken when she opened the door. A flood of voices and conversations reached her ears immediately, engulfing her in their confusion. The door closed with a soft click and she slung her bag over her shoulder before she stepped onto the sidewalk.

"You got your car back," Stiles said, appearing by her side.

She turned her head, a smile tugging at her lips. "Yeah, picked it up last night," she told him. "My dad still thinks it's going to magically break down or something, but…" she paused, shrugging. "It works fine."

"For now," Stiles said, grinning.

Hollis narrowed her eyes, shooting a playful glare in his direction. "Great, thanks," she said, sarcastically.

"Yep, anytime," he told her.

Rolling her eyes, she shifted the books she was holding. A silent moment passed between them, which left just enough room for the nervousness to enter. She had tried to keep things casual between them, had tried to leave the confused feelings locked up but they slipped out through a small crack. Hollis fidgeted with her books. She kept her attention focused on them as a distraction but that only lasted for so long. Before, the silent moments were comfortable. Now, they were tense…at least to her they were. Not being able to stand the silence, she asked, "So, how's your dad?"

"He's ok. You know, just a couple bruises but he's good," he answered.

"Good," Hollis answered, happy to hear that. In the chaos of that night, she was glad to know that no one had gotten seriously injured. A few people had been hurt, acquiring a few cuts and bruises but nothing beyond that.

"So," Stiles started, throwing a look her way. "Do you have any plans after school? Because I was thinking…."

"I'm actually staying after," Hollis interrupted with an apologetic smile. She ignored her sped up heartbeat, almost cursing it for reacting like that. "I wanted to get a few pics developed so I reserved the dark room."

He nodded understandingly, replacing the disappointed look with a smile. "Oh, ok. Sounds cool, though. Can I see them later?"

"Yeah, definitely," she told him. "Don't you usually hang out with Scott after school?" Hollis looked over at him but he averted her gaze. She tilted her head, sighing. "Are you two still not talking?"

"No. I mean, we-we're talking," Stiles answered. "Scott's talking. I'm just…not listening."

Hollis arched an eyebrow as she readjusted her books. "What's going on with you two? Everything was fine Monday and now..." she trailed off.

He stayed quiet for a few seconds before he spoke. "It's nothing. Just some stupid fight we had," he answered sheepishly. "It'll blow-over soon," he assured her with a nod.

"I hope so because it's weird with you two not talking," she said.

Stiles grinned but that grin slowly faded. "Crap. Scott's coming this way," he said.

Hollis followed his line of sight, seeing Scott walking towards them. "So?" She asked with a shrug. "Now you two can apologize and move on."

"I-no. Maybe later," he said quickly. "I'll talk to you later, Hollis."

"Where are you going?" She asked.

"Class," Stiles called over his shoulder.

Hollis sighed, watching him disappear into a group of students.

Scott appeared by her side, a frown evident on his face. "I wanted to talk to him."

She looked over at him. "Yeah, well, apparently he has class."

"That doesn't start for another twenty minutes," Scott stated, throwing a look her way.

"Yeah, I know," Hollis said. "You two really need to make up."

[- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -]

The hum of voices in the cafeteria grew louder with each second while more and more students entered the vast room. From where she sat, Hollis took in the room as she nibbled on her lunch. Taking in the familiar faces, her gaze rested on a table and, a smile grew on her face at the sight of Scott and Stiles…talking.

 _Finally_ , she thought, happy that their feud was over. Although it hadn't lasted very long, it had still been weird with them not talking.

Lydia followed her gaze then turned back to her. "What's going on with you?" she asked, her voice breaking the silence between them. With narrowed eyes, she stared at Hollis, studying her.

Hollis looked towards her, slowly chewing her food. She shrugged and swallowed before replying. "Nothing," she answered. "Why?"

"There's something that you're not telling me," she said, pointing her fork at her. "So, are you going to tell me what that _something_ is?"

She let out a soft laugh, a quizzical look appearing on her face. "There's nothing to tell."

Lydia nodded, clearly not believing a word that was said. "Right." She stared at her with her eyes narrowed and picked at her food. Her gaze flickered from her to the two boys sitting a few tables over and, a realization dawned on her face. "Something happened between you and Stiles, didn't it?"

"What? No!" Flustered, Hollis shook her head. "No, nothing happened. Why would you think that?"

A smile tugged at Lydia's lips. "Well, for one, you just got all nervous which tells me that I'm right. Second, I'm your best friend. So, naturally, I know everything…even if you don't tell me."

Hollis fidgeted under her gaze, unease pouring into her veins. She looked anywhere but at Lydia, wishing for her to drop the subject. But, she knew her friend and knew that she didn't lightly just drop something. After a few seconds, a sigh escaped her lips and, she turned her attention towards her. "Alright, fine," Hollis said, defeated in her attempt to hide this. The reason for her secrecy was because she didn't want to say those words aloud. If it was spoken, then it made it real and that wasn't something that she was ready for. But, then again, Hollis wanted to confide in her friend even though she would be subjected to ridicule, no matter how friendly it was.

Lydia's smile grew, a satisfied look appearing on her face. She stayed quiet, silently prompting her to talk.

Lowering her voice, Hollis leaned toward her. "He kind of told me that he liked me." Noticing Lydia's gleeful look, she shook her head. "But he didn't really. I mean, he didn't finish the sentence and ended up saying something else."

"What did you say?" Lydia asked.

"Nothing," Hollis told her. "I changed the subject and avoided it. He didn't mention it again and…" Trailing off, she paused and shrugged.

Lydia nodded slowly at the information she was given. "But do you?" She asked, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.

"I-I don't know," Hollis answered. "Maybe? Kind of." She sighed, resting her head on her hands. "I'm confused, I know that."

"I knew it!" Lydia squealed happily. "You should tell him."

Wide-eyed, she shook her head. "I can't. I mean it's possible he didn't mean it. I just don't want to make things weirder if he doesn't, you know?"

Lydia tilted her head to the side, rolling her eyes. "Are you really that blind, Hollis?" She asked, surprised. "It's obvious that Stiles likes you. Everyone can see it…but you."

Hollis sighed, the confusion within her growing each second. She threw a quick look in his direction before she looked at Lydia. She opened her mouth to reply but was interrupted by the appearance of Allison. The girl sat down, dropping a book on the table with a clatter that was subdued by the noisy cafeteria.

"What are you guys talking about?" Allison asked, settling into the seat.

"Nothing," Hollis answered.

"Not _nothing_ ," Lydia said, throwing an exasperated look at Hollis. "Hollis finally admitted that she like Stiles."

Allison's eyes grew big, her lips pulling into a smile. "Seriously? That's great!" She exclaimed. "Tell me everything. Start at the beginning."

Hollis filled Allison in on everything she had told Lydia. Rather than feel a weight lift from her shoulders at spilling the truth, she felt more weighed down. It was as if speaking it aloud made it more into a burden that dug its claws in and refused to let go. "But I don't want to complicate everything. It already feels weird as it is. And maybe he didn't mean it."

"He meant it," Allison told her confidently. "Even if he didn't finish it, he meant it."

"How do you know?" Hollis asked.

"Because it's obvious," Allison said. "I noticed his crush on you my first day here."

"I've told her that," Lydia chirped up, taking a bite of her lunch. "But she won't tell him."

Allison looked her way, surprise written on her face. "Hollis, you have to. You _should_."

"Can you we please just talk about something else?" Sighing she sat back in her seat, her eyes falling on the book in front of them. The book was big and brown with intricate lettering sprawled across it. Her curiosity peaked as she read the title upside down. "What's with the book?" Hollis asked. Thankfully, her attempt at switching topics had worked as both girls turned their attention towards the book.

"Oh, I wanted to talk to you two about that," Allison said excitedly. "It's _La Bête du Gévaudan_. I have to do a project in history that's specific to my family and, my Aunt Kate told me about this. It's pretty interesting."

"The what of who?" Lydia asked, arching a brow. The interest that had sparked within her faded at the change of conversation. She barely registered the book as she sighed.

"The Beast of Gévaudan. Listen..." She said, flipping through the book to a specific page. "' _A quadruped wolf-like monster prowling the Auvergne and South Dordogne areas of France during the years 1764 to 1767. La Bête killed over 100 people, becoming so infamous that the King, Louis XV, sent one of his best hunters to try to kill it.'"_

Hollis listened to the words, intrigued yet slightly uneasy about what she was hearing. The small amount of information that had been read aloud spooked her. It sounded like something out of a horror movie rather than a page from a history book. Or something right out of Beacon Hills that was downplayed as a mountain lion.

Lydia, however, thought differently. "Boring," she stated, focusing her attention on her lunch.

Allison was unfazed by Lydia's disinterest and continued reading. "' _Even the Church eventually declared the monster a messenger of Satan'._ "

"Still boring," Lydia said.

"Let her finish," Hollis said. "It sounds interesting," she said, although her voice held a hint of fear.

"' _Crypto zoologists believe it may have been a sub-species of hoofed predator, possibly the Mesonychid—'"_

"Slipping into a coma bored." Lydia exaggerated her point by pretending to doze off.

"Lyd," Hollis said, rolling her eyes.

"' _-while others believe it was a powerful sorcerer who could shape shift into a man-eating monster.'"_

"Any of this have anything to do with your family?" Lydia questioned, making Hollis wonder the same thing. As interesting as this piece of history was, she didn't know what it had to do with the Argents.

"This," Allison said, looking at both girls briefly before turning to the book. "' _It is believed La Bête was finally_ _trapped and killed by a renowned hunter who claimed his wife and four children were the first to fall prey to the creature. The hunter's name was Argent.'_ " Allison looked at them expectantly, waiting for some sort of reaction from them both.

The girls peered down at the book, Lydia looking the least interested. "Your ancestors killed a big wolf. So what?"

"Not just a big wolf. Look at this picture. What's it look like to you?" Allison flipped to the next page, revealing a drawing.

Hollis stared at the picture as fear seeped into her veins. The Beast was monstrous, as it stood engulfed in a steam of mist. It's claws were razor sharp, raised to strike the people at its feet. But it was its' eyes that stood out against the backdrop, glowing a sinister red. Those eyes were permanently burned into her memory, as she had encountered them a few times over the last week. She shivered at the memories that were brought to the surface. Hollis sat back in her seat. Crossing her arms over her chest, she looked away from bodies of women and children whose faces bore looks of terror.

Although it was just a picture, just folklore, it scared her. It looked like she wasn't the only one who felt the terror from it. Looking at Lydia, she saw that she was almost hypnotized by the image.

"Lydia? Hollis?" Allison asked.

"Oh, sorry," Hollis said with a nervous laugh. "It kind of looks like a…" she trailed off, not wanting to speak the word. It was silly. It couldn't _possibly_ be a werewolf, as those were only real in stories. But she still bit her tongue, refusing to say it. Her dad had teased her with those myths just days prior. It was meant just to scare her, to give her something to think about but with everything she had learned, everything that she had seen, only added to the crazy theory that formed in her mind.

Lydia wiped the frozen expression off of her face, replacing it with one of disdain. "It looks. Like a big. Wolf." Gathering her books and bag, she stood up abruptly and smiled cheerfully at them. "See you in History," she said, before turning from the table and out the door.

She knew that Lydia associated the image with what she had seen at the video store. It matched the creature on the video to a T and _that_ was what scared her. She smiled nervously as they exchanged a quick look.

"Is she ok?" Allison asked.

"Yeah, yeah. She's fine," Hollis told her yet there was no trace of confidence in those words. "So, you're using that for your project?"

Allison nodded, closing the book. "Yeah. My aunt said it's kind of like what was happening here. The weird animal attacks and all," she told her, shrugging. "I mean, I doubt it's even remotely true, especially the whole werewolf thing but it's still interesting right?"

Hollis gave her a reassuring smile. "Definitely."

[- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -]

Hollis's mind felt like grand central station. Not only was she consumed by thoughts of her confusing feelings and what she should do about them but also with the history lesson on the Argent family and the Beast of Gévaudan. She knew she was being crazy overthinking them both but she couldn't stop. Just when she started to focus on one thing, her thoughts took over and brought her back to those two topics.

She tried to keep her mind closed off to those thoughts, instead focusing on the Algebra homework she had in her lap. Her eyes looked over the problems and, for once, she didn't panic at the equations. Although some stumped her, she powered through them.

This wasn't the most ideal way of spending her free period. But she wanted to get through some homework, considering she would be spending her afternoon in the dark room developing pictures. The hallway was quiet save for the occasional person who went to their locker or other students who preferred to spend their free period being obnoxiously loud. She tuned them all out with her music that flowed through the tiny ear buds. She hummed along quietly to a song while working on her homework. Just as she lost herself in the moment, a figure stood over her breaking her concentration.

Looking up, Hollis spotted Carter's smiling face staring down at her. In his hands, he held two steaming cups of coffee. She paused her music and pulled her ear buds out, returning his smile.

"Figured you could use some coffee," he stated, handing her one of the cups.

"Thanks," she said, surprised at the gesture and also a bit uncomfortable. Their brief conversation on Monday had been awkward enough as it was and, seeing him here as if nothing had ever happened between them made her wary. Nevertheless, the caffeine called to her and she took a languid sip of the liquid. Although it was the school's coffee, it was decent enough.

"I thought we could have coffee and catch up," he told her. His eyes flickered to the seat beside her, as if asking permission if he could join her.

Tentatively, she moved her stuff aside to make room. When he sat down, she was aware of his closeness and, it felt weird to be near him again.

Before she could speak, he beat her to it. "What were you listening to?"

"Oh, country," Hollis answered, nodding.

"I don't know how you listen to that," Carter said with a laugh. "Do you still listen to that pop, punk band?"

"All Time Low?" She asked. When he nodded, she said, "Of course."

Carter chuckled, shaking his head. "How do you go from country to punk? Your music taste is-"

"Awesome," Hollis finished, smiling.

He nodded slowly. "If you say so," he joked. He looked down at the book open in her lap and nodded towards it. "Since when do you do Algebra homework?"

She glanced down at the almost complete homework. "Since I kind of understand it. It still confuses me at times but…" she paused with a shrug. "Stiles has been helping me. And I'm actually passing," she said happily.

His eyes darkened for a brief moment before he nodded. "So, how have you been?" He asked, dismissing her answer.

"I've been good," Hollis told him, holding the warm cup of coffee between her hands. "Fixed things with my dad a few weeks ago and, I don't know, things are…good." She said, giving him a small smile. "What about you?"

"Same. Just the usual, you know," Carter answered.

She smiled softly, using the coffee as an excuse to do something. "Do you have free period now?"

"Kind of," he said with a grin. "I gave myself one. I'm not in the mood for Econ."

Hollis tilted her head, rolling her eyes. "Nice."

Carter smiled proudly, drinking his own coffee. He finished the rest with another gulp and threw the cup into the trash. "I missed this, Hollis. Us. Hanging out."

Hollis froze at those words, unsure of how to reply to that or what to make of the sentence. "Yeah, I mean, it's been weird not talking." It was partly true. Their relationship had lasted a little over a year and having gone from talking everyday to not at all had been an adjustment. But Hollis had felt better afterward, less suffocated by his constant criticisms and his belittling her problems. There had been moments where they bonded and were inseparable but those days were over. "But we broke up and…."

"Yeah," Carter said with a sigh. "Look, I'm sorry how things ended. I know I screwed things up," he said.

"I think we were both to blame," Hollis said after a few seconds.

"But mostly me. I acted like a jerk," he said. "But at least we're talking again."

[- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -]

The dark room was like a gift, an escape into another world. The room was coated in a red light that made everything surreal, every movement prolonged. This was where Hollis was content and, she was quickly absorbed by the easy pattern of developing pictures. She had waited longer for the room, past her scheduled time due to a photography club that had run late. By the time that she had entered the room, most of the school was empty. As eerie as it was, once she closed the door to the darkroom, everything felt all right.

Her mind didn't buzz with troublesome thoughts for the first time that day. She had managed to push them aside, shut them off. It was as if closing the door to the room had also closed the door in her mind. All her attention was on the task at hand. Hollis watched each picture soak in the liquid before she pulled it out and gingerly hung it up.

As much as she liked digital photography, there was something reassuring in the old fashioned way of film. Using the negatives to bring out an image was special, exciting. There was no way to know how a picture looked _until_ it had been developed. She liked the surprise of it.

Dozens of pictures hung on the line in front of her. Her eyes scanned each one, happy to see that most of them weren't half bad. Carefully, she touched a few to see if they were dry then pulled them off and placed them safely in a folder. There were still so many that she wanted to develop but she had spent enough time in the room, considering how late she had been let in. Looking over her shoulder, she saw the pictures that were still soaking in the liquids and knew it would be at least another thirty minutes before she would be ready to leave.

Hollis moved the pictures from one liquid to another, seeing the image appear on the page as if by magic. At this, she couldn't help but smile. The excess water dripped off, landing on the floor by her feet. While those dried, she proceeded to clean up and, knowing it would be a few minutes before they dried, she took her time cleaning.

A piercing howl reached her ears minutes later. She winced at the sharpness of it, the sound almost resembling an injured cat. Hollis listened for another howl but none came.

She continued with getting the room set up like how it had been when she first entered. Just when she was close to finishing up, a powerful howl sounded. It's vibrations shook the room, causing her to stop what she was doing. Hollis looked up, fear entering her system.

 _What the hell was that?_ She thought and glanced around as if whatever had made that sound was in the room with her.

That definitely hadn't sounded like an injured cat and, she didn't want to stick around to find out what it was. Gathering her stuff, she took one last look around the room then went towards the door. Closing the door behind her, she turned around and walked right into someone.


	20. Chapter 20

A scream stuck in her throat, her heart hammering a mile a minute as she took an uneven step back. She hit the door, fear digging its claws into her.

"Hollis!" A familiar voice said, calming the anxiety. "It's just me."

She looked towards the voice and relaxed when she saw that it was Stiles. Although her breathing was still ragged, she managed to get it under control. "Stiles," she said. She ran a hand through her hair and threw him a confused look. "What the hell. Are you trying to give me a heart attack?"

"Sorry," he said sheepishly. "I called and texted you but you didn't answer."

"I had my phone on silent." Hollis reached into her bag and pulled her phone out. The screen lit up, showing that Stiles had in fact left several text messages and had called half a dozen times within the last twenty minutes. "Is the world ending or something?" She asked with a joke, returning her phone to her bag. Looking up, she noticed the worried expression on his face and the cold hands of fear pulled her in again. "What's going on?"

"I'll explain later," he said, shaking his head. "But we have to go. Now." He ignored her confused look and grabbed onto her hand before he pulled her towards the door.

Hollis walked numbly, thoughts whirling around her mind. What the hell was going on? She wanted answers; to know why he looked so panicked, why he insisted on her leaving at this very moment. Gaining her strength, she stopped mid-walk and pulled her hand away.

"Hollis…." Stiles looked at her, ready to argue but she cut him off.

"I'm not going anywhere until you tell me what's going on."

He sighed and waited a few seconds before he nodded. "There's someone in the school. I think they're trying to kill us."

A laugh escaped her lips but it died down at the serious look he wore. "Are you serious?" She asked, processing the information. She shook her head, unable to wrap her mind around this. "This is…this is crazy. Who is it? Who's 'us'?"

"Scott, Lydia, Allison and Jackson are here, too," Stiles said quickly. "But we need to go, Hollis. Trust me, ok?"

She let out a shaky breath, unsure what to believe. Despite the questions in her mind, she nodded. "Ok. Let's go."

Again, he grabbed onto her hand. They moved towards the door cautiously and, once Stiles signaled that it was safe, they entered the hallway. The stillness was eerie, which only added to the panic inside of her. Her heart thumped with each step, her breath shallow as they moved down the dark and empty hallway. Their footsteps echoed on the tiled floor, reverberating off of the metal lockers.

They walked on in silence. Every second stretched into a minute until Hollis had no idea how much time had passed. In a twisted way, it was fascinating how the school's atmosphere changed. During the day, it was so lively with students milling about, conversations filling the halls and chalk hitting the board. Now, it was completely different. Other than the empty classrooms they passed, the building didn't resemble a school. It felt incomplete. Haunted.

When they rounded a corner, a group of voices reached their ears. Her spirits rose when she caught sight of Lydia, Allison, Scott and Jackson.

"What are you guys doing here?" Hollis asked when she approached them.

"I got a text message from someone pretending to be Scott," Allison explained. "The message said to meet him at the school so Jackson and Lydia drove me here."

"Pretending? Who would send that?" Hollis asked, thinking it was strange. A sinking feeling hit her as her mind crossed to the possibility that they were lured to the school. She pushed that thought aside and scolded herself for letting her imagination run away.

"I don't know," Scott answered.

Lydia sighed dramatically. "Can we go now?"

Stiles and Scott nodded. Just as they started to move down the hall, an odd rumbling rose above them. Six pairs of eyes looked up at the ceiling.

"Run," Scott said before he pushed them forward.

Their shoes squeaked on the tiles but the sound was engulfed by a crash as something burst out of the ceiling panels. The sound was deafening in the stillness. Hollis didn't look back. The millions of questions that had sat on the tip of her tongue vanished. The only thing she cared about was getting away from _whatever_ was chasing them.

The doors to the cafeteria slammed open and, the six of them rushed in. Her heart beat quickly from the exertion of running and the terror that ran through her. She looked around the room, seeing empty tables waiting to be filled by students.

"Scott, wait-not here-not here," Stiles said but his words hung in the air, already forgotten. Nobody paid attention to what he had said. Everyone was too preoccupied with the situation they were in.

Hollis stood off to the side, getting her breathing under control. Now that they were somewhat secure, she wanted to know what was going on. But before she could form a question in her mind, Scott spoke.

"The vending machine. Help me push it in front of the doors," Scott said.

"What was that? _Scott_ , what was that?" Allison asked, panic laced in her words.

"Seriously, guys, _what's_ going on here?" Hollis asked, looking at both Scott and Stiles. But neither of them spoke a word.

"What happened to the ceiling?" Lydia asked curiously.

Hollis turned to look at her, tilting her head. Lydia shrugged and was about to answer when the sound of screeching echoed in the room. All heads turned towards Scott, who struggled with the vending machine.

"Just help me!" He said, aggravated and scared.

Everyone shared a looked before Jackson and Allison went to help. Even with three people helping, it took a lot of effort to move the machine in front of the door.

Hollis didn't believe it would keep _it_ out, considering how it had crashed through the ceiling tiles just moments before. But she held onto whatever shred of hope she had. That hope was soon ripped from her as Scott's panic increased. It was like a disease, infecting each and every one of them. The fear was almost visible, suffocating and thick in the air around them. Hollis wrapped her arms around herself, her eyes flickering to the door and straining her ears to see if she could pick up on any sounds outside.

"Chairs. Stack the chairs—" Scott said and moved towards the neatly stacked chairs that sat atop the tables.

Lydia, Jackson and Allison went to help, pulling the chairs from the surface and putting them in front of the door. A chair was thrust into her hands, pulling her out of the numb trance she had been in. She moved it towards the door, unsure if it would hold.

"Guys, hold on," Stiles quiet voice echoed in the room. But, again, no one paid attention as they worked. "Guys, wait a second. Hello."

Hollis place one more chair down and looked towards Stiles, whose voice managed to break her terrified thoughts. "Stiles, what's wrong?"

"Stop standing around and be useful," Jackson growled, loudly placing a chair on the floor.

"Okay, nice work. Beautiful job, everyone. Now what do you think we should do about the twenty foot wall of windows!" He said, motioning towards the windows.

Hollis looked towards it followed by everyone else. She sighed at the sight of it. "Great," she mumbled.

Allison, who stepped towards Scott, interrupted the silence. "Can someone please explain what's going on? I'm freaking out here and I'd at least like to know why." Her question was left unanswered, just like before.

Hollis exchanged a look with Allison, both desperate for answers. She looked away, her attention turning towards the one person she knew that wouldn't lie to her. "Stiles?"

Stiles looked at her before he said, "Someone killed the janitor."

"What?" Lydia asked, shaking her head.

"Are you sure?" Hollis asked, her voice barely above a whisper. Her blood turned to ice and she shivered. She didn't want to believe it but, then again, she looked around the cafeteria and the situation they were in.

"The janitor's dead," Stiles repeated.

"What's he talking about? Is this a joke?" Allison asked. Her attention was fixed on Scott, as if begging him to tell her differently. But Scott shook his head, confirming what Stiles had said.

"Who killed him?" Jackson spoke up.

"No, no, no," Lydia said, shaking her head. "This was supposed to be _over_. The mountain lion—"

"Don't you get it? That wasn't a mountain lion—" Jackson interrupted, his voice anything but comforting.

Hollis shook her head and closed her eyes as she took a deep breath. Her crazy theory and disbelief about it being a mountain lion returned stronger.

"Who is it? What does he want?" Allison asked. Everyone stayed quiet. No one uttered an answer or a sound. Allison sighed and turned to Scott once more. "What's happening? Scott?"

"I don't know-it's just-if we go out there, he's going to kill us," Scott said, darkening the already fearful mood of the room.

"Who is it?" Hollis asked. "Do you know?"

"Derek. It's Derek Hale," Scott said.

It was as if someone had hit pause. Everyone stopped thinking and breathing as the answer lingered in the air.

"Derek killed the janitor?" Jackson broke the silence, a look of doubt on his face.

"You're sure?" Allison asked.

"Why would he kill the janitor? How can it be Derek?" Hollis asked, unable to wrap her mind around the situation. She had felt bad for all that he'd gone through, especially since her dad had known the Hale family well. Doubt filled her. She didn't believe it even if she didn't know Derek well or, rather, at all.

"I saw him," Scott said, as if having just read her thoughts.

"The mountain lion—" Lydia whispered.

"No. Derek killed them," Scott said gravely.

"All of them?" Allison asked.

Scott nodded. "Starting with his own sister."

"And the bus driver?" Hollis asked.

"And then the guy in the video store," Scott said.

Hollis looked at Scott and shook her head. "No. I was there," she said. " _We_ ," she motioned towards herself, Jackson and Lydia, "were there. Whatever was in the store wasn't him. It can't-"

"It's been Derek the whole time," Scott interrupted. "He's in here with us. And if we don't get out... he's going to kill us too."

Jackson turned to Stiles, his eyes flashing with anger yet panic. "Call the cops."

"No," Stiles answered.

"What do you mean no?" Jackson asked, fuming.

"I mean no. Want to hear it in Spanish? _No_. Derek killed three people. We don't know what he's armed with."

"Your dad is armed with an entire Sheriff's Department. Call him," Jackson said, his voice threateningly low.

Stiles stood his ground and shook his head.

"I'm calling," Lydia said with a sigh as she pulled her phone out. The screen lit up her face as she dialed the three numbers and put it to her ear.

"Hold on-Lydia, just wait—" Stiles said. He took a step towards her but before he could get very far, Jackson shoved him back.

"Ok, stop," Hollis intervened. "That's not helping anything, Jackson."

Jackson turned on her, his eyes flashing angrily. "No, it's not," he said, taking a step towards her. "Because we're stuck in a school with a psycho who wants to kills us for some reason and _this_ idiot won't call the cops."

"Guys, shut up," Lydia said, throwing a glare their way. She turned around, motioning for them to stay quiet as she spoke into the phone. "Yes, we're at Beacon Hills High School. We're trapped in here and we need you to..." Lydia paused, her eyes widening in surprise as she looked at everyone. "She hung up on me," she said quietly.

"The police hung up on you?" Allison asked.

Lydia nodded, still holding the phone near her ear. "She said they got a tip warning them there would be prank calls about a break in at the high school. She said if I called again they would trace it and have me arrested."

"That's _insane_ ," Hollis said, unable to process everything. "Call again. Maybe from a different phone."

"They won't trace a cell phone. They'll send a car to your house before they send someone here," Stiles said.

Allison ran her hand through her hair, speechless. "What the... What is this? Why does Derek want to kill us? Why's he killing anyone?" As she looked towards Scott for the answer, everyone followed.

"Why are you looking at me?" Scott questioned, taking a step back from the stares.

"Is he the one who sent her the text?" Lydia asked.

"No-I mean, I don't know," Scott said, shaking his head.

"Well, is he the one who called the police?" Allison asked.

"I don't know," Scott snapped, an instant look of regret on his face when Allison flinched.

Hollis chewed on her bottom lip and let out a shaky breath.

"Okay, everybody just ease back on the throttle, all right?" Stiles said, taking a step towards Scott. Without another word, he motioned for Scott to follow him and led him over to the kitchen area of the room.

"How do we know that they're not in on this?" Jackson spoke up once they were out of earshot and gestured towards Scott and Stiles. "For all we know, they could have planned this whole thing."

"What? That's crazy," Hollis said. She ignored the look Jackson threw her. "They're just as freaked out as we are."

"Or they're good actors," Jackson suggested.

"No, no," Allison said and shook her head. "This…Hollis is right. That can't be true."

"Think about. They don't want to call the cops. Stiles could have easily told his dad about the prank phone call from us." He looked at the three girls, watching their reaction. "It makes _sense_."

While Lydia seemed to mull this over, Hollis and Allison looked at each other quizzically. If it had been anyone else, she might have just believed it. But she knew them. She _knew_ Stiles. Crossing her arms, she shook her head to signal that it couldn't be true.

"Fine. Let's just find out." Jackson turned to where Scott stood with Stiles. "Okay, assheads. New plan. Stiles calls his useless dad and tells him to send someone with a gun and decent aim. We good with that?"

A deafening silence filled the already quiet cafeteria. No one spoke as they waited to see what their decision would be.

"He's right," Scott said after a moment. "Tell him the truth if you have to. Just call him."

"I'm not watching my dad get eaten alive," Stiles replied.

"Looks like I was right," Jackson muttered as he threw a look at Hollis and Allison. He then charged towards Stiles, anger flashing on his face. "That's it. Give me your phone," he said through gritted teeth before he spun Stiles around, trying to reach the phone in his pocket.

Hollis watched the struggle for a few more seconds but she was unable to stay quiet any longer. All this commotion was surely attracting unwatned attention, which put them all in more danger. "Guys, this isn't helping. All this noise that we're making…whatever is out there can hear us," Hollis said as she crossed the distance between them. But her words clearly didn't stop the struggle before her, as if they hadn't heard her. "Jackson, _stop_ ," Hollis said, trying to intervene. She grabbed for Jackson's arm, trying to get him to stop but that only seemed to infuriate him more.

"Back off," Jackson said icily, his eyes deadly as he stared her down. He wrenched free of her grasp, shoving her back in the process.

Hollis stumbled backwards but regained her footing when she bumped into a table.

"Hollis…" Jackson said, realization dawning on his face at his uncalled for action. "I'm sor-" But before he could finish, Stiles' fist collided with jaw. The sudden impact caused him to fall back and land on the floor.

"You ok?" Stiles asked, walking towards Hollis. His eyes looked her over, checking for injuries but there were none.

Hollis nodded. "Yeah. I'm okay."

Everyone looked towards Jackson, who was still sprawled on the floor.

"Are you okay, Jackson?" Allison asked, running up to help him.

From where she stood, Hollis noticed the pleased smile on Jackson's face and rolled her eyes in disgust. She knew that he hadn't meant to shove her but it was clear that he wanted to play the victim and did so well. Jackson turned towards everyone, feigning a look of shock and hurt…a look that didn't have Hollis fooled.

Stiles cradled his shaking hand before he reached for his phone. Everyone watched him dial then put the phone to his ear. "Dad? Hey, it's me... and it's your voicemail. Um... I need you to call me back. Like now. Like right now—"

Something slammed against the door. The sound reverberated throughout the room. Stiles trailed off and looked towards the door while the others stared in panic.

"We're at the school-Dad-we're at the school—" Stiles said quickly as the door took another hit.

With the impact, the stack of chairs tumbled down and crashed on the floor around them. Everyone slowly backed up, watching in horror as _something_ tried to break into the room.

Lowering his phone, Stiles grabbed onto Hollis's arm then pulled her back. "We need to go,"

The barricade started to fall as more chairs toppled to the ground. With an extreme amount of force, the doors inched open a crack and sent the vending machine to the floor. It shattered, a thunderous noise filling the room.

"Oh God, oh my God—" Lydia said as she stared in horror.

They stood in complete shock at the powerful energy that caused the doors to come out of the wall. The metal bended inward, prying the door off its hinges, which already looked deformed in the frame.

"The kitchen. The door out of the kitchen leads to the stairwell," Stiles said, breaking the silence.

"Which only goes up," Scott said.

"Up is better than here," Stiles said as he pulled Hollis towards the other door.

Everyone ran into the stairwell and onto the second floor. It was deadly silent in the hallway and, the darkness only added to the terror that hovered in the air. After running a few steps, they entered the Chemistry room and shut the door quietly as to not draw any attention towards them. Scott moved a chair under the knob just as the stairwell door slammed open, reverberating off the walls. Quietly, they backed up against the wall in hopes of remaining hidden.

Her heart thudded in her chest as the fear took a toll on her. She felt exhausted, physically and mentally while she leaned against the wall. Seconds that felt like hours passed in complete silence. No one dared to utter a peep, let alone breath. In the stillness, the sound of footsteps sounded near the classroom.

Stiles gave her hand squeeze, which seemed to bring her terror down a degree or two. She looked over at him, giving him a small smile although they each wore a panicked expression.

The door suddenly rattled, breath steaming the window of the door as the creature stood on the other side of it. Hollis was sure they were found out, that whatever was out there would enter the room and end them. She tried to keep thoughts like that at bay but it was easier said then done. But the creature moved on, the footsteps dulling as it walked down the hallway.

Once it was safe to breathe, Scott turned to Jackson. "Jackson, how many people can fit in your car?"

"Five or six if somebody squeezes onto someone's lap," he answered.

"Five? I barely fit into the back," Allison said.

"It doesn't matter," Stiles said. "There's no getting out without drawing attention."

 _Or alive,_ Hollis thought negatively. She pushed the thoughts out of her mind, refusing to let them in. Her eyes swept the room, which looked eerie without class in session. Her eyes rested upon a steel door that stood just past the teacher's desk. "What about that?" She asked, motioning towards it.

Scott eyed it and Hollis could almost see the wheels turning in his mind. "It leads to the roof. We could go down the fire escape to the parking lot in seconds," he said, hope filling the room and lessening the dread.

"But that's a dead bolt," Stiles said, pointing at it.

"The janitor has a key," Scott answered quickly.

"You mean his body has it," Stiles retorted.

"I can get it," Scott said confidently. He leaned towards Stiles and whispered something that Hollis couldn't make out.

"Gee, that's an incredibly terrible idea. What else you got?" Stiles said.

"What's a terrible idea?" Hollis asked. She looked from one to the other expectantly.

"I'm getting the key," Scott answered seriously.

"Are you serious?" Allison asked, wide-eyed as Hollis said, "That _is_ a terrible idea."

"It's the best plan," Scott stated. "Someone has to get the key if we want to get out of here."

"You can't go out there unarmed," Allison stated. Her voice dripped with fear and her eyes held it, too.

"I won't be unarmed," Scott said, his eyes dancing around the room. "I'll have…this," he said, grabbing a pointer from the chalkboard. He gripped it in both hands and turned to them.

"Great. What are you going to do? Poke him to death?" Hollis asked.

"It's better than nothing," Scott said with a shrug.

"There's got to be something else—" Stiles said.

Everyone looked around the room, trying to find something for Scott to take with him in case….

"There is," Lydia said and nodded towards a tall glass cabinet that was stocked with chemicals.

"What? Like throw acid on him?" Stiles asked.

Lydia gave him an exasperated look. "No, like a firebomb. In there is everything you need to make a self-igniting Molotov Cocktail."

"Self-igniting..." Stiles trailed off, trying to see if anyone else understood Lydia's sudden knowledge of chemistry.

"Molotov Cocktail," Lydia repeated. She saw the curious expression everyone wore and shrugged. "What? I read it somewhere,"

Despite the situation they were in, Hollis smiled. She was happy that Lydia used her brain rather than feigning ignorance like she did half the time.

"Well, we don't have the key to that either—" Stiles started but, before the words could leave his mouth, Jackson smashed his foot through the glass.

"Ok, that works," Hollis muttered and stood aside as Lydia dug around for the correct chemicals. She watched in confusion as Lydia mixed a couple bottles together in a glass beaker.

When she poured another bottle into the mixture, she looked towards Jackson. "Hand me the sulfuric acid." Hand outstretched, she waited while he searched the bottles in front of him. His hand lingered over one then the other before he picked one up and handed it to her.

"Think this will work?" Hollis asked, glancing at Stiles.

"I don't know. I hope so," he answered. "But we'll be okay," he told her confidently.

A weak smile tugged at her lips and she nodded, willing herself to believe that.

"How does Lydia know all that?" Stiles asked.

"She's a genius," Hollis answered. She looked at Lydia, feeling proud that she was using her knowledge. It always surprised her that she covered it up, as if it was a horrible thing to be smart. "But she dumbs herself down."

Stiles nodded at her words, clearly surprised at the information.

"No. No, this is insane," Allison said, her voice rising with each panicked word. "You can't do this. You can't go out there."

"And we can't sit here waiting for Stiles' dad to check his messages," Scott argued.

With a frown, Hollis watched the interaction between the two. It was a suicide mission but she didn't dare say that aloud…she hated just _thinking_ it for fear of jinxing him. Biting her lower lip, she looked away but couldn't shut out Allison's pleading voice and Scott's determination.

"This is crazy, Stiles," Hollis said with a sigh. "Can he do this? Can he really go up against whatever's out there? He's just one person and maybe someone—"

"He can do this," Stiles said reassuringly. "Besides, it's the only plan we have. It kind of _has_ to work."

Hollis sighed. Her eyes flickered to Scott, who pulled the chair out from under the doorknob. "Yeah."

The door clicked open and, with one look at everyone, Scott stepped out into the hallway. The door closed behind him and, a veil of dread cloaked the room. Allison stood with her back to everyone, staring at the door.

"He's gone," she whispered. "He just…he left."

Sighing, Hollis walked over to her and linked her arm with hers. "He'll be ok, Ali." When Allison didn't respond, she continued. "He'll be back with the key in no time and, then we'll be able out of here."

Allison nodded numbly.

"Come on, let's go sit," Hollis said and led her to a desk.

Minutes passed by in silence. No one said a word, not even Jackson who would typically have a comment to voice. Hollis mulled everything over as her mind refused to shut down. Rather than focus on getting out alive, she continued to dissect each piece of information she had been given. Those thoughts whirled around her mind, making the facts incomprehensible. She had so many questions, so many doubts but she was afraid to voice them. Not because she would get shut down but because she didn't want to add more stress and paranoia to the situation. Hollis sat on the floor with her back resting against the wall. With her eyes close and head tilted back, she let those thoughts flow in.

"You ok?" Stiles asked, appearing by her side.

Opening one eye, she looked up at him. "I'm just thinking." She scooted over to make room for him and, when he sat down beside her, she continued to talk. "How do you think Scott's doing?"

"I…he's good. Yeah, definitely," Stiles said, nodding. "Nothing to worry about."

"I hope so. Allison's a wreck and, if he doesn't get back soon…" she trailed off.

Stiles reached for her hand and laced his fingers with hers. "He'll be back. And he'll be ok," he told her, giving her hand a squeeze. "What were you thinking about?"

"Just… _this_ ," Hollis said, motioning towards the room they were in. She kept her voice low, above a whisper so as not to attract the attention of Jackson, Lydia and Allison. "What's _really_ going on, Stiles? I mean, I don't believe this whole 'Derek-is-a-serial-killer' story."

He looked away from her stare. "Hollis…" he trailed off, ending his thought. "I-It's…Look, it's complicated."

"Complicated?" Hollis asked. "Of course it's _complicated_ but that's not-"

"Derek is involved. But...remember how you want me to not lie? This is me not lying. I'm just saying I can't tell you everything," Stiles explained. He finally looked at her, his eyes pleading for her to accept this. "I need you to trust me. I'm trying to protect you from –"

"From what?" Hollis asked, her eyes searching his face. "I do trust you, ok? I'm just…confused. I feel like I'm only getting ten percent of the story and everything else is a secret."

He stayed quiet, thinking over his next words carefully. Just when Hollis thought that he wouldn't answer, he spoke. "I'll tell you. I promise but for now…."

"Ok," Hollis said with a nod, a small smile working its way onto her face.

"Ok," Stiles repeated and returned the smile.

Soft voices carried over from where the others sat. Head resting against the wall, Hollis looked over. Bits of Allison's words floated over along with Jackson's surprising words of comfort. She narrowed her eyes at their interaction and caught them holding hands.

Lydia either noticed or pretended not to. Instead, she sat there as if in a trance before she stood up and walked towards the teacher's desk. The clicking of glass bottles rang in the air, unnaturally loud.

"Jackson, you handed me the sulfuric acid, right? It has to be sulfuric acid. It won't ignite if it's not..." She glanced over at him, a questioning look on her face.

"I gave you exactly what you asked for. Didn't I?" He said, his voice cold as he stared at her, unblinking. He held her gaze until she looked away.

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm sure you did," Lydia said quietly.

Another silence enveloped the room that was soon broken by a bizarre sound from below.

"What is that?" Hollis asked. She strained her ears trying to hear but she couldn't make out what that sound was.

"No idea," Lydia said, a puzzled look on her face.

Jackson fell to his knees, his face twisted up in pain before he started to scream while his hand went to the back of his neck.

At first glance, Hollis believed that he was faking. He had pretended before and she wouldn't have put it past him. But the more his screams filled the room, she realized that something was wrong. She exchanged a look with Stiles and they stood up just as Allison and Lydia ran towards Jackson to help him up. As abruptly as the screams started, they stopped.

"I'm fine. Seriously, I'm okay," Jackson said, though his face still held a look of pure pain.

"That didn't sound okay at all," Allison said.

"What's on the back of your neck?" Stiles asked.

No sooner had the words left his mouth that Jackson pulled away, hiding whatever he had on his neck.

"You sure?" Hollis asked, stepping towards him. "You sounded like you were in serious pain."

"I said I'm fine," Jackson snapped.

"I doubt it," Lydia said as she stepped towards him. "It's been there for days and he won't tell me what happened."

"As if you actually care," Jackson said.

"Can we not argue for half a second here?" Stiles asked as he stepped between them.

Jackson rolled his eyes as he leaned against the wall.

"Where's Scott? He should be back by now," Allison said.

"He'll be here soon," Hollis reassured her.

"I hope so," Allison said, looking towards the door. A silhouette appeared in the glass and, she took a careful step towards it. "Scott?" She walked towards the door, grabbing hold of the knob. She twisted it but the door wouldn't open. "It's stuck or locked," she said, tugging at it with all her strength.

"What's he doing?" Hollis asked, taking a step towards Allison. She could see the figure move and turn away from the door. Away from the room.

"Where's he going?" Lydia asked, panicked.

"Scott!" Allison cried, her hands pounding on the door. She shouted for him as she tried to get the door open but he never returned.

"Stop, stop!" Lydia cried, her voice carrying over Allison's cries. "Do you hear that? Listen."

Sirens sounded in the distance, coming closer with each second. They ran towards the window and looked out at the parking lot. The flashing red and blue lights of the police cars illuminated the darkness.

[- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -]

Hollis, Lydia, Allison and Jackson stood off to the side while Scott and Stiles went to explain what happened. She watched them talking animatedly, looking over at the four of them every now and then. She hoped that whoever, _what_ ever was in the school would be found. She still had her doubts about Derek and, in all honesty, she still had no idea what had just occurred. It had been a nightmare, something she wouldn't be able to forget about. But it was something she would be questioning at the same time.

While Lydia and Jackson spoke quietly, Allison stood off by herself. Hollis walked towards her and stayed quiet, letting her presence be known by placing a comforting hand on her arm.

Seconds ticked by before Allison sighed. "How could Scott just leave? He _locked_ us in that room so we wouldn't get out."

"I'm sure he had his reason, Ali," Hollis said.

"Like what?" Allison asked, looking over at her. "Because it didn't look like he was trying to help us. I don't know. Maybe Jackson was right about Scott. What he said before about him…and Stiles."

Hollis shook her head. "Ali, no," she said. "He was trying to help. They _both_ were. Scott risked his life for us and—"

"And he locked us in. With absolutely no way out," Allison said with a humorless laugh.

She looked at Allison who looked broken and defeated. "Do you honestly believe that? You know Scott. I'm sure he was just trying to help and, he did what he thought was best."

Allison stayed quiet and crossed her arms. "I don't think I can trust him anymore," she said before she walked away.

Hollis sighed, her eyes following Allison as she walked towards the parking lot. She crossed her arms, wishing for this night to just end. The exhaustion started to take a toll on her and all she wanted was to go home, to sleep and forget that any of this ever happened. It wasn't likely, considering how her brain loved to be active but it was a nice thought all the same. She lost herself to her thoughts, it's ideas weaving in and out of focus.

"Are you ok?" Sheriff Stilinksi asked as he walked towards her, breaking through her thoughts. "Do you need a ride home?"

"I'm ok," Hollis answered with a smile. "My dad's actually picking me up but thanks."

The Sheriff nodded before he stepped past her and spoke to the deputies who stood behind them.

Hollis looked over her shoulder, watching the Sheriff and the deputies talk. Their words weren't audible, which made her wonder what they were saying. Did they find something? Did they even believe them? More than anything, she wanted to know but the truth was always just a bit out of reach for her. She hated being on the outside; having a fraction of the truth frustrated her more than anything because that was when her mind went into overdrive. Rather than produce reasonable answers, the ideas that entered her mind were ridiculous. The truth was out there. Someone had to know what was going on and, she hoped that it wouldn't be too long before she was let in on it.

"That doesn't look good," Stiles spoke up as he stepped towards her. He noticed her confused look and nodded towards Allison and Scott.

A frown appeared on her face at Scott's failed attempt at a conversation with Allison. "It's not," Hollis said with a sigh. "She thinks…I don't even know. That Scott locked us in there on purpose or something. I mean, I get how it looks like that but…." She trailed off with a shrug.

"He was trying to help," Stiles finished. He looked over at her with concern. "Will you be ok? I mean, I know it was pretty crazy tonight and... Do you need anything?"

Hollis tore her eyes away from Scott and Allison before focusing her attention on Stiles. "I think I'll be ok," she answered. Was that the truth? Probably not, but it was something she hoped for. "But thanks for tonight. You know, for helping me and just being there."

"Yeah, of course," Stiles told her. "I'll always be there for you. I mean, when you need help."

Hollis smiled at his words. Now that her mind wasn't preoccupied with surviving, those confusing feelings slowly crept in and tangled themselves up in her heart. The more she tried to fight it, the deeper they dug into her. She recalled the advice Allison and Lydia had given her just earlier that day. It was hard to believe that both events had happened on the same day, considering how much had taken place since them. She looked over at him as her heart sped up. "Stiles...," she trailed off.

He looked at her expectantly and waited for her to continue.

The words were at the tip of her tongue and she could feel them slipping out. "I...," she trailed off with a sigh and paused, thinking her words over carefully. Her eyes flickered towards the parking lot. A car pulled in, it's beams illuminating the area in front of it. "My dad's here. I'll talk to you later but, thanks again." It wasn't what she had wanted to say but perhaps now wasn't the time for that conversation.

Stiles looked towards the car then to Hollis. "Get home safe. Call me if you need anything," Stiles told her.

"I will," she told him, giving him one last smile before she walked towards the car.


	21. Chapter 21

_Finally managed to get an update to you guys. It took a month (I know, I'm horrible) but I did it. Work has been taking over my life with all the crazy holiday hours so sitting down to write was pretty much nonexistant these past few weeks. I'll try to be better at updating and, I'm sure things will slow down at work soon. Hopefully the next two chapters won't take forever and a day. Enjoy the new chapters :)_

 _Hope everyone had a great holiday and, I'm wishing everyone a Happy New Years!_

* * *

The intoxicating smell of coffee paved the way towards the kitchen. The coffee gurgled as it brewed, dripping velvety dark liquid into the clear pot. Hollis smiled at the sight of it. Her eyes were tired and her face bore the signs of a troubled nights' sleep. She shuffled towards the cabinet where she pulled out her favorite mug and leaned against the counter, waiting for the coffee to be done.

Since the encounter at the school on Wednesday, sleep hadn't come easy for her. Even with school having been closed the day before and today, Hollis spent much of the night tossing and turning. The terror that she had felt had seeped into her skin and refused to let go. What little sleep she did get was filled with nightmares; images that left her gasping for breath. When she was awake, her brain was on autopilot…always thinking. That was why she turned to caffeine, her go-to drug as of late. The previous day, she had consumed more coffee than she had in a week. If her dad noticed, he hadn't said anything although she could feel him watching.

The last few drops of coffee dripped into the liquid. Hollis filled her cup up, mixed in some milk and sugar then went to sit at the island. Her eyes stared down into her hands, which were wrapped around the steaming cup of coffee. The heat burned but she didn't seem to notice. Instead, she lifted the cup to her mouth and took a tentative sip. The taste of caffeine on her tongue was bittersweet, electrifying her senses almost immediately.

"Did you get any sleep?" Grant's voice drifted into the room. He walked towards the pot of freshly brewed coffee before pouring himself a cup. As he drank it, he eyed her cautiously, worry etched onto his face.

"Yeah, I mean, kind of," Hollis answered. She put on a smile, trying to convince him of her answer.

He placed the cup down, his eyes never leaving her.

She averted his gaze, focusing all her attention on the drink before her. Her mind swam with thoughts that ranged from ideas to memories to questions until it rewound to the beginning.

"I know you didn't," Grant started, breaking through her thoughts. "You haven't slept right since Wednesday night."

Hollis wanted to argue that she had slept fine but knew he would be able to see right through it. She sighed audibly before she lifted her eyes to him. "I just have a lot on my mind."

Grant nodded understandingly. He crossed the kitchen and sat down opposite her, waiting for her to talk.

She stared at the faded design on the cup for a few seconds before she spoke. "You said that you know the Hale's well, right?" She asked, trying to pull her thoughts together, to put them into something other than the jumbled mess they currently were in.

"Yeah. I've known them for years," he answered. "After the fire..." he trailed off, his eyes becoming distant as if he was remembering that time. "After I…left," he eyed her, saying the word 'left' as gingerly as possible, "I lost touch with the family. Those who survived, I mean."

Hollis nodded, thinking over his words. It still stung when he brought up his leaving but that was all in the past.

He studied her over his coffee and asked, "Why do you ask?"

"I just…. Do you think Derek could have killed all those people?" She looked at her dad, wondering what he believed.

"Honestly, I don't know," Grant said. He scratched his chin, mulling over her question and his answer. "I knew him when he was just a kid but who knows what he's capable of now. People change." His eyes lost their focus as if remembering something that ought to have been forgotten. A hidden memory stirred behind his eyes, one that was strongly kept at bay. "Under the right circumstances, they can do almost anything," he said in a whisper.

Tilting her head, she narrowed her eyes. His answer unsettled her and she tried to read him, to get a look into what caused the sudden change in him. But she couldn't. Whether there was something there or not, she didn't know. Instead, she brushed it aside and blamed it on the lack of sleep. With another sigh, she nodded. "Yeah, I know all that but…I just want to know what _you_ think."

"I'd like to believe that he's innocent. He was a good kid," he answered.

She didn't look satisfied at his answer and, it must have shown on her face because her dad asked, "What's really going on, Hollis?"

Hollis took a long sip of her coffee, trying to gather her thoughts. Ever since Scott had said that Derek was the killer, that he wanted to kill them all like he had all those other people, her doubts had started. She didn't believe it. Didn't think that he was to blame and didn't understand why Scott would throw him under the bus. At the moment, Hollis had accepted that due to their situation. Her main focus had been on surviving but, ever since they were rescued, she started to question it all.

"Because I don't think he killed anyone," she replied, watching her dad's reaction.

"Well, the cops seem to think he's guilty."

"Since when?" Hollis asked with a humorless laugh. "Dad, up until Wednesday, everyone thought it was a mountain lion. If they had believed it was a person, _Derek_ , don't you think they would have had evidence to back that up by now?"

"I suppose," Grant said. "But didn't you say he was arrested for the first murder?"

She did remember that. Her hope had deflated at the reminder but then she remembered what the Sheriff had said at the Lacrosse game. "He was let go. There was animal hair on the body so, unless Derek can mysteriously turn into an animal then he's not guilty."

A shadow of an expression crossed Grant's face. But before Hollis could register it, it was gone. Somehow her words made her think of impossible things, theories that strangely made sense. The lack of sleep really affected her mind if she thought that such things were possible. Yet they nagged at her, making it all the more believable. The quick look that had crossed her dad's face made her risk believing it all the more.

"But what if that's it?" Hollis spoke up. She looked at her dad, trying to muster the courage to say those crazy words that were ready to tumble out of her mouth.

"What is?" Grant asked.

"The animal part. I researched all those myths you were telling me about how this town is some sort of beacon and—"

"Hollis, stop," he said but his words were ignored.

"I mean, it sounds crazy but maybe there's some truth to it. It could explain the animal attacks and, it could explain what I saw at the video store."

Grant didn't look impressed when she focused her attention on him. Sighing, he crossed his arms. "I told you those myths for fun. Not for you to start applying them to what's going on in town."

"Yeah, I know but –"

"None of that is true. You're just tired and stressed, Hollis." He could see that his words didn't sit well with her. "Besides, I thought you didn't believe in that stuff," he pointed out, interrupting her.

"I didn't. I don't," Hollis answered adamantly, shaking her head. She took a sip of her coffee, which had cooled down since their conversation started. "But…I don't know. In a weird way, it makes sense. It at least makes it so that Derek's not guilty. That there's another animal or _something_ out there that's behind all this." With a shrug, she brushed a hand through her hair, untangling the knots that had formed.

"Hollis, you know that's nothing but folklore," he told her. "Like you said, that stuff only belongs in fiction. Whether Derek or some other animal are to blame for all this is not up to you to figure out. Let the police handle it."

Resting her head on her hand, she knew that what he said was true. Perhaps all the coffee minus the sleep messed with her mind to the point where she believed anything. "Yeah, I guess you're right. But –"

"No buts," Grant said. He stood up and placed a smile on his face, turning towards the stove. "What do you want for breakfast?"

[- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -]

The remainder of the morning had dragged on with internal questions, theories and other confusing issues that piled onto her over-exhausted mind. Although her theory was beyond ridiculous, Hollis couldn't seem to stop thinking about it. She was a skeptic for all things supernatural. Her dad had been right to point out that she didn't believe in that stuff but, then again, what other explanation could there be for all the crazy, unexplainable things that happened in Beacon Hills? Enough but none that satisfied her.

Her dad's reaction to her theory, however subtle, remained on her thoughts. It seemed as if it jarred a memory for him but he hadn't let it hang in the air for long. He had refused to humor her in her theories, forcing her to drop the subject. But once he left for work, her mind reeled back to those thoughts. Something was off about this town, about everything that happened since the first animal attack. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't let it rest.

Hollis sighed and turned her attention away from the mini-research she had been doing. All it did was confuse her more and make her certain that she was going crazy. Shutting the laptop, she sat in the deafening silence. It unsettled her to be alone with nothing but her thoughts. Not having been able to take the quiet and her active mind, she decided to go out and get some answers, or at least a confirmation that she wasn't insane.

"Stiles!" The Sheriff yelled up the stairs before he turned to face Hollis. "He'll be down in a minute. I think."

Hollis nodded with a smile as her eyes briefly drifted towards the stairs then back towards the Sheriff. "Ok, thanks."

"How are you doing after what happened at the school?" he asked.

"Good," she answered with a silent sigh. "I mean, as good as can be expected."

The Sheriff nodded understandingly. "I can't imagine what you kids went through," he said with a shake of his head. "Anyway," he said, pulling his jacket on as the minutes flew by. "You might as well go up. I need to get going before I'm late so just let him know…."

"I will," she informed him.

The Sheriff gave her one last smile and his eyes briefly went to the stairs before he went towards the door. The door opened and closed with a soft click, leaving Hollis alone.

The seconds seemed to stretch after the Sheriff had left. Hollis looked towards the stairs and took them up to the second floor before proceeding towards Stiles' room. Music could be heard from the other side of the door and, she hesitated a moment before she knocked lightly. The music stopped abruptly and, the sound of footsteps sounded before the door swung open.

"What's up..." Stiles trailed off when he caught sight of her.

"Hey. Your dad let me up," Hollis said. "He left, actually. He had to get to work but he said I could come up," she explained.

"Oh, yeah, yeah." He looked behind her then focused his attention on her, still wide-eyed. "That's – that's cool," he stammered.

"Am I interrupting something?" She asked, breaking the awkward silence that followed his words.

"What? No. I'm just surprised to see you," Stiles told her.

"I know I should've called first or something but -"

"No!" He said, surprising them both. "I-I mean, no. I'm surprised but you know, happy. To see you. Like always." He said with a nod and paused. "Uh, did you want to come in?" He asked and opened the door wider.

"Sure," Hollis answered and stepped past him. The room was just as it had been during her last visit but she still looked around. She smiled at the band posters that hung up on the walls as a few of their songs popped into her mind. "How's Scott doing?" She asked, turning to face him.

"He's taking the breakup pretty bad."

Hollis frowned and sighed. "So is Allison." She noticed the look of surprise on his face and continued. "Yeah, I know but breakups suck either way." When he nodded, she continued. "I think she's just freaked out about what happened at the school. I mean, I really can't blame her. It was a crazy night."

"Yeah, it was," Stiles agreed.

"Everyone is, I think," she said then paused. Tilting her head to the side, she thought for a second before she spoke. "Well, Lydia and Jackson are pretending it didn't happen but I guess that's their way of dealing with it. Allison's just trying to make sense of it all and..." she trailed off with a shrug.

"What about you?" Stiles asked. He took a step closer and looked down at her with concern. "You look..."

"Like crap?" Hollis finished then nodded. "I know."

"I was going to say exhausted," he said. "Have you been sleeping?"

"I-yeah," she said. "Kind of. I got a few hours over the last couple days."

"A few hours?" Stiles asked, wide-eyed. "That's not good."

"I know," Hollis said with sigh. "The dreams I have don't exactly help me sleep."

"You mean nightmares?" Stiles asked and frowned when she nodded, the concern growing on his face. "Hollis, you could've called me. To talk." Looking down at her, he placed his hands on her arms. "You know you can always talk to me, right? I mean, if you want. I'm just a phone call away."

Hollis nodded, the sincerity of his words bringing a smile to her face. "Yeah, I do. Thanks." They stood like that for a few seconds, engulfed in silence. Her confusing feelings resurfaced and made the comfortable moment turn to one of awkwardness...at least for her. She stepped back and pulled out of his grasp before she sat down in one of the chairs. "I actually need to talk to you."

Stiles took the other chair and sat down. "Ok, yeah. What's up?"

"My mind just doesn't want to shut off," she started, feeling those thoughts trickle in one by one. They weaved themselves around her mind, much like they had for the last couple days.

"Because of Wednesday?" He asked.

"Because of everything. Going back to the first victim, Laura Hale, or even before that," she said. "Were you able to find anything out about my mom's car? The accident, I mean."

"Oh, uhm, no. There wasn't anything in there about the scratches or anything like that. I looked through the file and..."

" _You_ looked through the file?" Hollis asked, surprised. "I thought you were going to ask your dad to look into it."

"I-I did," Stiles said, nodding. "Yeah."

Narrowing her eyes, she tilted her head. "Did you break into the police files?"

"Not really, no," he said with a shake of his head. "I mean, it's not really breaking in if I used my dad's key...without him knowing."

"Stiles! Are you serious?" Hollis asked with a sigh.

"Well-I...It's not like I _stole_ anything. I read it and then I put it back. So it's not really a crime."

A look of disapproval flitted across her face before she shook her head. "But there wasn't anything in there? About the scratches or an animal?"

"No. Sorry, Hollis," he said, frowning.

"It's ok," she said, although she couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed. Then again, if her theory was right (as crazy as it was), then she doubted it would even be reported.

"Why are you thinking about all of this?" Stiles asked, breaking through her thoughts.

Hollis opened her mouth to reply, unsure of where to start. She knew she could tell him anything, no matter how insane it was but a part of her wasn't sure if she even believed in what she thought. "Honestly? I don't think Derek's guilty. Of anything."

"Hollis, he's –"

"I know I just... Just let me finish, ok?" Hollis pleaded.

He nodded, giving her a reassuring smile and waited for her to continue.

"I didn't see him at the school. I know you guys said you saw him but I didn't. Whatever it was that was chasing us wasn't Derek." She watched his face for a reaction but he just nodded to what she said, listening intently to her words. "I mean we've been down this road before. You guys thought Derek killed Laura but there wasn't any evidence. The cops let him go because of that. I find it hard to believe that _everything_ is pinned on him all of a sudden. All the murders."

"Maybe they'll find new evidence against him," Stiles spoke after a minute, although he didn't sound convinced.

"I doubt it. Besides, how could Scott know all of that before the cops?" Hollis asked. All the thoughts that had been clinging to her mind were slowly pouring out and, even though she sounded unsure and crazy, she felt as if a weight was being lifted from her shoulders. "I don't believe its Derek. Or a mountain lion."

"What do you think it is?" Stiles asked slowly, almost cautiously.

Hollis paused. Deep down, a scared part of her knew that there was more to her theory than a bunch of insanity. With one last final doubt, she reached into her bag and pulled out her phone. Turning it on, she flipped through her pictures before she found the one she was looking for. Hollis placed it down, the image revealing La Bête; the same one that Allison had shown her just a few days ago. She didn't say anything, only pushed the phone towards him and waited.

Stiles remained quiet for a moment, taking in the picture. When he looked up, a flash of uneasiness flashed in his eyes. "What...where did you get this?"

"Allison. She's doing a project on her family for history class. She showed that to Lydia and me at lunch one day, after the whole thing at the video store happened. But...it looks almost exactly like what I saw." Hollis lifted her gaze from the phone to Stiles and watched him for a reaction. "So, I don't think it's a mountain lion. Or Derek."

Stiles briefly glanced at the phone again before he stood up. He paced the room, his footsteps the only sound in the quiet room. When he looked her way, it seemed that there was something he wanted to say but decided against it. Instead, he shook his head and sighed. "That – that's just a picture out of a book, Hollis," he said quietly.

"No, it's not!" Hollis said adamantly with a shake of her head. Standing up, she walked over to him and placed a hand on his arm to stop him from pacing. "You saw the video, Stiles," she said, peering up at him. "You can't tell me that it doesn't look like what was on the video."

He averted her gaze, looking past her as he thought. He looked conflicted and, Hollis could almost see the wheels turning in his mind. She held her breath, hoping he would admit that she was right or at least admit that there was _something_ similar between the two.

"I...It could be anything," he told her, deflating all hope of, well, hope.

"But what about the red eyes?" She asked, not ready to let this drop. Her dad refused to entertain the idea and now the only person who could've believed her didn't. "I've seen those eyes more than once. At the video store, at the preserve, at..." she trailed off as a flicker of a memory flashed in her mind. It was short, just a quick flash but she saw enough to make her certain that it had been real. A pained, almost scared look crossed her face as she looked up at Stiles. "At the accident," she said softly as if afraid to break the memory.

Stiles looked down at her. " _That_ accident?" He asked, concern threading the words.

Hollis nodded. "Yeah. I-I don't remember much but..."

"Did it cause the accident?" He asked.

"I don't know. I don't think so," Hollis said with a shrug. "I just remember hearing the nails, claws, _whatever_ on the side of the car and then seeing those eyes." She looked up at him but couldn't determine if he believed her or if he thought she was crazy. The fact that he had seen the video, that he had admitted that it could be something more than a mountain lion allowed for a trickle of hope to fill her again. She wished that he would just tell her what he knew, if he knew anything at all. "Look, I know I sound crazy. But I also know what I saw. I just need to know that –"

"I believe you," Stiles said, giving her a reassuring smile.

A smile tugged at her lips at hearing those words. "Really?"

"Yeah," he said gravely. "I mean, I'd never lie to you. I don't really know if it's Derek or a mountain lion or a bear but...if you think it's something else, then I believe you."

Hollis relaxed visibly. The crazy theory of hers was out there, regardless of whether it was real or not. She knew there was some other explanation for it all but whether that was connected to the supernatural, she wasn't too sure. Yes, she had thought it, dwelled on it for the last few days (possibly weeks) but thinking it and believing it were two very different things. However, having told someone lifted the weight off of her shoulders. The fact that Stiles believed her also helped a great deal.

She didn't know what to say, other than a grateful 'thank you'. A few moments passed before Stiles suggested they watch a movie. Hollis had agreed, more than ready to focus her exhausted mind on something other than a town full of weird occurrences. Even though she had brought up the topic, she was glad to leave it behind.

Minutes later, they made it into the living room and sat down on the couch. The TV came to life, sound filling the otherwise quiet room.

"What do you want to watch?" Stiles asked.

Hollis shrugged, unable to name anything. Her mind blanked, much like it did when put on the spot in class or when asked what her favorite song was. "I don't know. Anything, I guess," she told him before she added, "Just nothing scary. My minds already on freak-out mode."

Stiles grinned, nodding. "Alright," he said with a laugh.

It took a few minutes, but they decided on a movie. As it started to play, Hollis stared at the screen as if transfixed. It was an old movie, one she had seen several times but didn't mind repeating it. With her mind as jumbled as it was, she was happy not to watch anything new.

She tore her eyes from the screen, focusing her attention on Stiles. "Hey," she said quietly and placed her hand on his to get his attention. "Thanks. For believing me and not thinking I'm insane."

Stiles nodded. "Yeah, of course," he said, a smile spreading across his face.

Hollis returned the smile then looked back at the movie. The lines and scenes were almost memorized, which made the movie comforting rather than just predictable. As the minutes ticked by and the scenes passed, exhaustion started to seep back in. She felt her eyes growing heavy and, although she fought to stay awake, the need to close her eyes won in the end. When her mind started to drift away, Hollis welcomed the much-needed sleep.

She didn't know how long she had been out but, when she came to, she could hear the low sound of the television. The grogginess she felt from her much-needed nap made her want to keep her eyes closed and return to the dreamless sleep from before. But as her mind started to awaken, the memories of the day returned and she remembered where she was. Opening her eyes, Hollis blinked back the blurriness until her vision cleared. She stirred but realized that something pinned her down.

"Hey," a soft voice said, causing her to raise her head.

It was then that she realized the voice belonged to Stiles and that his arm was around her, holding her to his side.

"You awake?" He asked just as quietly but she could hear the smile in his voice.

"Uhm, yeah," Hollis answered, embarrassed. She moved some more, managing to sit up as his arm released its hold on her. "Sorry," she said with a sheepish smile, looking over at him. "For falling asleep...on you." She brushed her fingers through her hair, untangling some of the knots. "You should've woken me up."

"Why?" He asked. "I mean, you were exhausted and in need of sleep," he explained with a nod. "Besides," he added sheepishly, "I kind of fell asleep, too. Woke up a few minutes before you did."

Hollis looked at him with a bemused look before she laughed. "So much for watching a movie," she stated. "What time is it?"

Stiles looked around, his eyes resting on the clock. "Uh, it's around six," he answered.

Her eyes grew wide and she stood up abruptly. "Crap," she said with a sigh, reaching for her phone. The little screen lit up, exposing the many texts and missed calls from her dad. "Sorry to sleep and run but I need to go. My dad was at work when I left and, he doesn't really know that I left. I honestly thought I'd be back before he got home but, you know, I fell asleep."

He nodded understandingly as he stood up. "Yeah, that's fine," he told her. "Think he's mad?" He asked, nodding towards her phone.

"Probably," she answered with a shrug. "He's been watching me like a hawk since the whole thing on Wednesday and, I'm pretty sure he'll send a search party if I don't get home soon."

Stiles chuckled. "I wouldn't be surprised," he said. "Text me when you get home."

[- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -]

"Ali?" Hollis asked as she looked at her expectantly. It was Saturday afternoon and, she sat in Allison's room. Her dad hadn't been too eager to let her leave the house, especially after she had left the previous day without so much as a word to him. It had taken some time, some prodding, but he had relented eventually.

Allison shook her head and turned her attention towards Hollis, a sheepish smile on her face. "Sorry," she said with a sigh. "I'm just...distracted, I guess."

"Don't worry about it," she told her gently, knowing just what was preoccupying her mind. "Did you talk to him at all?"

She shook her head with a sigh. "He called but, no. I can't talk to him. Not after he locked us in that room," Allison answered.

Hollis shifted on the bed. "I don't think he did it to hurt us, Ali." She saw the skeptical yet hopeful look on her face and continued to speak. "I mean, think about it. The whole time he was trying to do everything to keep us safe. He risked his life to get the key –"

"Which he used to lock us in," Allison interrupted.

"True but he was the one out there with whoever," she had almost said _what_ ever, "was out there. Trying to kill us. In a way, we were kind of safe in that room, while Scott was out there unarmed."

Allison nodded slowly, the look of utter confusion growing on her face. She ran a hand through her hair and shrugged as her eyes lingered on the window. "I don't know, Hollis. I _want_ to believe that what Scott did was to help us but...I'm so confused." She stayed quiet, lost in thought. "I can't help but think that maybe Jackson was right."

"Ali, please don't believe him," Hollis said and shook her head. "He's not right. Scott was just as freaked out as we were."

"I guess," Allison answered with a shrug. She stayed quiet for a second before resting her gaze on Hollis. She opened her mouth to speak but shut it as if she changed her mind. After a few seconds passed, she spoke. "Do you ever get the feeling that Scott knows something but isn't telling us? It just feels like him and Stiles are just, I don't know, keeping all these secrets."

She did get that feeling. A lot. It frustrated her beyond belief, especially when it felt like she only got a fraction of the story. There was clearly more to it but she couldn't even fathom what it could be. Hollis had confronted Stiles about it a couple times, to which he replied that he couldn't tell her. That it was _complicated_. But, the truth was, he had promised not to lie and she had promised not to force him to talk. It drove her crazy but that was their agreement. Rather than tell Allison that, Hollis simply shrugged. She didn't want to worry her anymore that she already was or add to the multitude of questions. "I don't think they're hiding anything. I wouldn't worry too much about it," she told her, giving her a reassuring smile for both their sakes.

Allison stayed quiet and nodded a few seconds later as if she accepted what Hollis had told her. Slowly, her lips stretched into an amused smile. "Can you believe Stiles punched Jackson?"

Her mind flashed to that moment and, she laughed. "Right? That was – I didn't see that coming. I know Jackson was being a jerk but..."

"Are you kidding?" Allison asked. "He punched him for you."

"What? No he didn't," Hollis said, shaking her head. "He did it because –"

"Because Jackson pushed you," Allison finished. She tilted her head, disbelief written on her face. "Oh, come on, Hollis. You're so blind."

Hollis opened her mouth to respond but shut it, not knowing how to respond to that. She tried to suppress the smile that tugged at her lips but failed. "Anyway," she said in an attempt to change topics.

"We're not done talking about this," Allison interrupted, a smile of her own grazing her face. "Seriously, Hollis, when are you going to tell him?"

She shrugged in her response. "Soon. I swear," she said once she noticed the unbelieving look on Allison's face. "I _was_ going to on Wednesday but then that whole thing happened at the school and, it didn't seem like the right time." She fidgeted with her necklace for a few seconds, tangling the delicate silver. "What's going on with you and Jackson lately? You two seem...friendly."

"We're just friends," Allison answered. "It's nothing like _that_ but he apologized for being such a jerk all the time and, I don't know."

"Well, just be careful, Ali," she said, giving her a quick smile. "I think he means well but it's Jackson. At the end of the day, he's out for himself."

"I will," Allison told her with a nod. Her eyes flitted to the bedspread, where her eyes locked on something. Tilting her head and squinted her eyes. "You're still talking with Carter?" She asked, looking over at her then nodding towards Hollis's phone, which lay just out of reach.

Hollis looked towards it just as the screen turned black. "Oh, uhm, kind of. He said he wants to be friends," she answered sheepishly. She caught sight of Allison's disapproving look and nodded with a sigh. "Yeah, I know."

"Be careful, too, ok?" Allison said gently as the look of disapproval turned to one of concern.


	22. Chapter 22

The four-day weekend had come and gone. It was Monday again and, the school was buzzing with talk of Wednesday night. The horrors of what had happened peaked everyone's interest. Everyone was engrossed in the rumors that spewed left and right, each one more unbelievable than the next. No one seemed to care what the police had stated, what the truth was because their own assumptions were deemed better and far more interesting. It would have bothered Hollis but the fact that no one knew who had been at the school that night almost made it seem as if it hadn't happened to her, Allison, Scott and the others. With the anonymity, it made her feel detached. Truth be told, she wasn't complaining. There had been enough whispers about her after the accident in the summer and, she was more than happy to not be in the limelight, so to speak.

Her eyes took in the hallway as she walked alongside Allison and Lydia. It was strange seeing the school intact and normal looking after everything. The messes had been cleaned up and, there was no trace whatsoever of the destruction and terror that had happened in the confines of the building. Rather than make her feel better, a chill crept under her skin. Hollis knew what had happened. No amount of cleanup could cover it up. She stole a glance at her friends. Lydia looked like her perfect self, as if she had already forgotten that they had run down these very halls in an effort to save themselves. Allison, however, looked wary as she looked around.

"Can you believe some of these rumors?" Hollis asked, finding her voice. She had to hold back the urge to roll her eyes at the talk that overfilled the hall.

"It's just weird," Allison said. "Everyone's talking about what happened the other night. And nobody knows it was us."

"Can't say that I'm complaining, though. I'd hate to be bombarded with questions from everyone. Of having to relive that night again," Hollis said.

Lydia nodded in agreement. "Thank you protection of minors."

Allison agreed but seemed lost in her thoughts. She stayed quiet, her eyes surveying the over packed hallway. "Guys... Do you think I made the wrong decision?"

Lydia looked over at Allison, her eyes assessing her. "About that jacket with that dress? Absolutely."

Allison exchanged a look with Hollis. "You know what I mean."

Lydia slowed her pace them looked at them both. "Hello, Scott locked us in a classroom and left us for dead. He's lucky we're not pressing charges or making him pay our therapy bills."

"Yeah, but..." Hollis started.

Lydia rolled her eyes, giving her a look. "Please don't tell me you're going to defend him after that."

"I...maybe. I mean, yeah," she said. "Look, I just don't think he had bad intentions, that's all." Hollis noticed the skeptical look on Lydia's face and sped up her explanation. "It's possible that fire bomb thing you made didn't work. So maybe the only thing Scott could do to help us was to lock us in the room. He _was_ out there on his own with whoever wanted us dead."

"Yeah, or he was helping Derek the entire time," Lydia said.

"But we didn't even let him explain," Hollis continued.

"I don't really care for an explanation," Lydia told her, her voice rising. She sighed and gave her a gentle smile. "Look, I love that you give everyone the benefit of the doubt, Hollis, but...Scott doesn't deserve it. Not this time."

Hollis looked at her with a doubtful look, unable to agree with her words. It was true that she believed more times than not that people's intentions were good. Although there had been times when she had been wrong in her convictions, she still believed in the innocent-until-proven-guilty concept. And she wasn't about to abandon that concept on Scott.

"Look, it's not like he did something stupid. It was a life and death situation. We could have been killed," Lydia added.

In a way, Lydia was right. Their lives _had_ been at stake. But, for some reason, Hollis knew there was an explanation. If it had been someone she didn't know, she would have possibly believed the worst. But it was Scott and, she knew he wouldn't do anything to put them in danger.

"I know, Lyd but...I can't believe that," she said, noting the look of annoyance on her face. "We know Scott. We shouldn't believe the worst."

[- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -]

The cafeteria was quickly filling up as students rushed past her, jostling her as they entered the vast room. Hollis stayed glued to the doorway, somehow unable to set foot into the room. It was lively now, noisy from all the conversations going on at once but the only thing she saw when she looked at the room was the grim reminder of Wednesday night and of being barricaded inside with someone, or _some_ thing, trying to kill them.

Hollis shook that thought off as a shiver ran through her. She momentarily lost herself in her thoughts, only pulling herself out of her mind to take a sip of her coffee. The liquid was still hot but not hot enough to burn her tongue and throat. Hollis savored the caffeine despite the copious amounts of coffee she had consumed over the four-day weekend. With one final look, she turned and walked against the traffic of students trying to enter the room. Once she was out of the crossfires of being trampled, she turned the corner to find a different place to spend her lunch period. The hallway thinned of people the further she moved away from the cafeteria. Up ahead, she noticed Scott sitting alone against the wall.

"Hey," she said when she stopped a few feet away from him.

Scott didn't reply or acknowledge her presence. It was as if he was lost in his mind, staring ahead at opposite wall.

"Scott," Hollis said, her voice a bit louder than before.

He snapped out of his daze and looked up at her, recognition dawning on him. "Oh, hey, Hollis," he said quietly.

"You ok?" Hollis lowered herself onto the floor and took the space beside him. She looked over at him and noted that there was something different about him. He didn't look quite like himself but she couldn't tell what had changed.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Scott replied unconvincingly before he gave her a small smile. "So, what are you doing here? I thought you'd be ignoring and hating me like everyone else."

"I don't hate you," Hollis said with a shake of her head. "The other's don't either. They're just confused and freaked out over everything that happened."

Scott nodded but she could see the doubt on his face. "Did you talk to them?"

Hollis knew that by 'them', he meant Allison. She nodded before she spoke. "Yeah. She's..." She paused, trying to find a gentle way to say her next words. "She thinks that you abandoned us, Scott."

Closing his eyes, Scott rested his head against the wall. "What do you think?" He asked after a few seconds passed. Opening his eyes, he looked over at her, waiting.

"I think you did what you had to," Hollis answered truthfully. "You did it to protect us. And I told Allison that –"

"But she still thinks I left you guys," Scott said. He sighed, hitting his head against the wall, hard enough to almost crack it. "What did you really tell her?" He asked. His voice was just above a whisper and mixed with accusation.

With narrowed eyes, she tilted her head in confusion. "I just told you."

Scott turned to her, his hard gaze resting on her face. "I don't believe you," he said slowly. "You put her against me, didn't you?"

Hollis was caught off guard with his words and the accusatory tone that filled them. But it was his intense gaze that filled her with unease. There was something off about him again and, Hollis could see it clearly now. His eyes were filled with a cold rage, matching the dark expression that crossed his face. For a brief moment, she had to look away. As her eyes took in the near empty hallway, she could feel Scott's gaze lingering on her. With a sigh, she turned back to him. "Of course not," she told him gently. "I'm on your side here, Scott."

"Sure you are." His voice was strangely calm, save for the dark look on his face.

"I am," Hollis said seriously. "Look, just ask Stiles. I told him the same thing I told you. And Allison. They know that I think what you did was to protect us."

Scott nodded but he clearly didn't believe her. Although he sat beside her, he was miles away. His head was tilted, expression focused as if listening to something. But what it was that he was listening to, she couldn't guess. Angrily, he hit his head against the wall to an invisible beat and when he spoke again, his tone grew colder. "Right. Which is why Allison thinks I got exactly what I deserved."

"Ok, what?" Hollis asked, now completely lost in the conversation.

"Yeah. And I think you're trying to turn everyone against me, including Stiles. You always have, Hollis." He stared at her as if in a trance, yet his unsettling gaze pierced her.

Hollis shook her head, more bewildered by the moment. "That's – no. What's going on with you, Scott?" Despite feeling uncomfortable, she was concerned. "Are you having some weird reaction to the full moon tonight?" She asked jokingly, looking at him cautiously.

Scott blinked. The hostile look in his eyes vanished and he looked at her with surprise. "Wh-What? What do you mean by that?"

"Nothing. I mean, the full moon's tonight and people tend to get weird," she said with an uneasy laugh. "I was just kidding. But are you ok?" She asked, seeing the same old Scott sitting beside her. The feeling of unease still nestled inside her, though.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm ok. I guess I'm just a bit out of it," he told her sheepishly.

Hollis nodded, managing to give him a small smile. "Ok. But if you need to talk..." She trailed off, looking away from him. The hall started to refill with students and, she took that as her cue to leave. "I should get going. I still need to get some books out of my locker but I'll see you later." With that, Hollis stood up and quickly made her way down the hallway. She couldn't get the disconcerting feeling out of her, even as she turned the corner and left Scott back there.

[- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -]

"You'd think they would ease up on the homework considering all that's happened here," Lydia said.

"I wish," Hollis agreed. "But I guess they need to make up the two days we missed," she said, making a face at all the work that was waiting for her when she got home.

"Still," Lydia said, also unsatisfied at the copious amounts of homework. "Are you –" She started but was interrupted by someone yelling 'Hollis'.

Hollis turned her attention towards the voice, only to see a blur run past her. She tilted her head in confusion, glancing at Lydia who shrugged. The blur returned seconds later, and Stiles stood in front her out of breath.

"Hey," he said, in between breaths. "I was...looking for you."

"Well, you found her," Lydia said. "And I'm gonna go."

"Ok, see you later," Hollis said, watching as Lydia walked down the hallway and disappeared around the corner. "So, what's up?" She asked, turning her attention back towards Stiles.

"Nothing," Stiles answered casually. "Why?"

She narrowed her eyes in confusion and tilted her head. "Oh, you were just looking for me so I thought you wanted to tell me something."

Stiles nodded slowly then his eyes grew wide with realization. "Right! I did. Want to tell you something," he said, his smile growing. "Guess who just made first line?"

"Seriously? That's great, Stiles," Hollis said as she pulled him into a hug.

"Thanks," Stiles said and hugged her back. "So, the game's this week. You'll be there, right?" He asked.

Hollis nodded, readjusting her bag. "Yeah, of course. I wouldn't miss it."

"Ok, great." Stiles grinned. "Oh, and Scott's co-captain now," he added.

"Really? Jackson must love that," Hollis said, imagining his reaction to the news and rolled her eyes.

"Definitely. He had a lot of things to say about that already," Stiles said.

"I bet," Hollis said. "Hey, so speaking of Scott, how's he doing?"

"What do you mean?" Stiles asked.

"I saw him at lunch and, I don't know, he seemed a bit..." the correct word would be dark or creepy but instead, she said, "different. A little off."

Stiles nodded as if he understood what she meant. He looked away from her, worry crossing his face at her words. But, when he turned back to her, the worry had vanished. "I'm sure he's fine. I mean, he's probably stressing over Allison and everything. But I'm going over to his house after practice so I'll keep an eye on him."

Hollis nodded, a wave of relief hitting her. She couldn't shake the weird behavior from him, the dead and hostile eyes that chilled her to the bone. It had been like talking to a completely different person rather than Scott. But, with Stiles' reassurances, she felt better.

"Anyway," Stiles said before she could talk. "I should go get ready for practice. And to find Scott. I guess I'll see –"

"I'll be there," Hollis said, answering his unfinished question. "Congrats again. I'm really happy for you."

Stiles smiled before he vanished from sight, half-running through the halls and barely missing a few people in the process. Hollis shook her head as the smile remained on her face.

[- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -]

"What was that about?" Lydia asked once Hollis caught up with her.

They moved through the maze-like hallway and towards the double doors that would lead them out of the building.

"Oh, Stiles made first line," Hollis answered.

"First line of what?" Lydia asked.

Hollis fought the urge to roll her eyes. Instead, she looked over at her and tilted her head as if to say 'you-know-what'. "Lacrosse."

"Are you serious?" Lydia asked with a surprised laugh. "He's been sitting on the bench since he first joined the team and now, what? Coach just decided to make him first line?"

"Yeah, I guess," Hollis said with a shrug. She took in Lydia's skeptical expression before she spoke again. "When Scott made first line everyone probably thought the same, Lyd. And now he's a great player."

Lydia nodded indifferently.

"Who just made co-captain," Hollis added, watching for her reaction.

Lydia stopped abruptly, turning to look at her with disbelief and anger. "What?!" She crossed her arms, ignoring the looks people gave her for stopping in the middle of the hall. With a sigh, she pulled Hollis to the side and repeated her question. "What? And Jackson –"

"Is still the captain. He's just sharing the title with Scott. Nothing's changed."

"Of course it changed. _Everything_ changed," Lydia said, her voice rising with each word. "Look," she said after she took a collective breath. "I'm supposed to date the _captain_ of the lacrosse team. Not the co-captain. It's just like...dating the vice president instead of the president." She moved aside a strand of her perfectly styled hair. "Not the same thing."

"The team's still winning," Hollis added brightly. Her words only resulted in a glare from Lydia. She tilted her head, ignoring her urge to not roll her eyes, "Come on, Lyd, you can't really care about all that. You're too smart for that."

"I-I do care," Lydia said, although her answer held no real conviction. She sighed, knowing that her words weren't full of the persuasion she had hoped to convey.

Before Hollis could reply, Scott appeared by their side. He looked at them nervously, slightly taken aback by the anger in Lydia's eyes.

"Hey. Can I talk to you, Hollis?" He asked, throwing a look at Lydia who continued to shoot daggers at him with her eyes.

Hollis hesitated. She was still freaked out by how he had acted and sounded that she wanted to say 'no'. But she saw the hopeful look and nodded. "Yeah, sure," she said and turned to Lydia. "I'll catch up with you."

[- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -]

The door to Coach Finstock's office closed with an audible click, muffling the slam of locker doors and conversation in the hallway. Ironically, the office was surprisingly tidy, which was in contrast with the unkempt appearance of the Coach. Hollis smiled to herself of the irony then looked towards Scott. The conversation they had at lunch echoed in her mind, reminding her how different he had seemed. But with one look at him, she shook that thought off. The Scott standing before her was the same old, awkward Scott. The uneasiness she felt towards him started to fade. Taking a deep breath, she let it out slowly and quietly before she put on a smile.

"So, what's up?" She asked, leaning against the desk.

"I just wanted to say sorry. I was a bit weird at lunch and..." he trailed off, a sheepish look on his face. "Stiles told me what you said to him."

"Oh, yeah. I was just worried," Hollis said. "You weren't acting like yourself so..." she paused and shrugged. "But, I get it. I mean, you have a lot going on and then there's Allison."

His eyes lit up at the mention of her name. He took a quick step towards her, the hopeful and curious look returning to his eyes. He opened his mouth to talk, clearly struggling with his words. "Do you think – Does Allison still like me?"

The question hung in the air like a veil. Hollis could almost feel Scott's anticipation of the answer; see his hope hanging by a thread as the question left his lips and he waited for an answer.

"Of course she still likes you, Scott," Hollis answered truthfully. "But she just needs some time to process everything."

Scott blinked and stared at her. "Process _what_?"

Hollis opened her mouth to speak but Scott interrupted.

"You mean how I abandoned everyone Wednesday? Abandoned her, right?"

She saw the hurt and disbelief on his face. Frowning, she nodded.

"I risked my life to save everyone!" Scott said, his voice rising as he interrupted her yet again. "No one's even grateful for what I did. Everyone just assumes the worst because..."

Hollis saw the change in him, the way his eyes turned hard and how his expression turned grim. She was reminded of the Scott she had seen at lunch. "I know," she said quietly. She opened her mouth to say more but she didn't know what could possibly calm him down or make him feel better. The most she could say was repeat the words 'I know' but whether that did any good, she wasn't sure.

He looked at her, the anger somehow reeling back. "You do?"

Hollis nodded with a sympathetic smile. "Yeah. I know its unfair and–"

But before she could finish the sentence, Scott kissed her. In those few seconds, she knew it was wrong. It wasn't because he was a bad kisser but because it was Scott. Her friend. Allison's boyfriend. Not Stiles. Her mind registered what was happening and, Hollis pulled back, looking up at him in disbelief. "What are you doing?"

The look he gave her wasn't one of remorse. Instead, he looked surprised that she pushed away from him.

"Is this your way of trying to get Allison back? By kissing her best friend?" She asked, incredulous.

"I – you wanted me to," Scott stated as if he believed it. "And me and Allison are on a break."

Her eyes widened in surprise. "And you think that's ok?" She shook her head, crossing her arms.

"Why not? Anyway, I figured you'd want to," he said.

Hollis shook her head. She tried to wrap her mind around what was going on, what he was thinking but she couldn't. Instead, she stood there staring at him as if he was a complete stranger. "Scott...why do you think I would want to? We're friends. Allison's my _best_ friend and Stiles..."

He shrugged like none of that mattered. "I'm the captain of the lacrosse team," Scott answered as if that explained everything.

Hollis looked towards him, tilting her head at his words. Anger suddenly filled her. She couldn't believe he didn't care that he was hurting the girl he loved, his best friend or anyone else. "Last time I checked, you're the co-captain."

"Well, last time _I_ checked, everyone wants to be with the captain. Just look at Lydia," he stated. "Besides, I'm a great player. I keep the team up and we won the last game because of me."

Hollis rolled her eyes. "I think this co-captain thing got to your head. That or you're getting jackass lessons from Jackson." She narrowed her eyes, holding eye contact with him. "You might be the captain of the team and a good player but you've turned into a jerk. Maybe an even bigger one than Jackson."

His expression darkened, causing her to take a step back. "I'm _better_ than Jackson. And you're making a mistake."

"I'm not," Hollis said, trying to keep the fright out of her voice. She moved towards the door and placed her hand on the doorknob but his voice rang out behind her, causing her to look over her shoulder.

"He doesn't even like you, Hollis," he said quietly. "Not like that. Why would he? You just get in everyone's business, acting like you care but you don't," Scott said, his voice low and filled with malice. "He just feels sorry for you because your parents died. That's the only reason he hangs out with you."

His words hit her and, she tried not to let it show on her face. A frown edged its way onto her features despite her efforts and, she looked away from him. Taking a deep breath, she let it out quietly before she opened the door and stepped out into the noisy hallway.

[- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -]

Walking through the hallway, Hollis had tried to push away Scott's words and tried to believe that it wasn't Scott who had said them. But the words had come out of his mouth; whether she believed him or not, the words had stung. She tried to find a reason for his strange behavior and to justify his actions but couldn't come up with anything other than that he was a jerk. Perhaps Lydia had been right in saying that she gave people the benefit of the doubt too much and that Scott didn't deserve it. She hated to think that maybe she was right. But his actions and words had made Hollis lose all belief.

Practice was in full swing when Hollis arrived at the field. The air was alive with the sound of Coach's comments, the sound of the whistle and the chatter of the crowd. Her eyes flickered to the field every now and then, hoping not to have another run-in with Scott. A sigh of relief escaped her lips when she noticed him on the field, pushing his way towards the front of the line. Knowing that there was no way she would have to talk to him, she scanned the crowd until she spotted Lydia on the bleachers.

Hollis walked in her direction while she paid attention to the practice at hand. Just as she arrived near her, she heard a cry of pain float through the air and the loud silence of the crowd as they stared at the injured player. An EMT rushed in to help Danny, who slowly sat up. His helmet was cracked and blood dripped out of his nose. Hollis felt sickened at the sight. It wasn't the blood that made her stomach turn but the fact that Scott had caused the injury. With one look at him, she could see that he didn't even care. There was no remorse in his cold eyes, no sign of the once concerned Scott who would've apologized profusely at causing someone pain.

"What the hell is wrong with him?" Hollis asked herself quietly. With a few more steps, she stopped beside Lydia and Jackson. "Hey. Is he ok?" She asked, looking in Danny's direction.

"It looks like he's just got a..." Jackson trailed off, staring at her.

"What's wrong?" She asked.

"Your lipstick," Jackson said while Lydia reached into her bag for her compact mirror. Opening it, she handed it towards Hollis, who gave her reflection a once over. She could see the light smear of her lipstick and wished she had checked it before she had come out here.

"Oh. Wonder how that happened," Hollis said, quickly fixing the smear with her thumb. Once she made sure her lipstick was ok, she closed the mirror and gave it back to Lydia, who gave her a strange look.

"Yeah. I wonder..." Lydia trailed off.

The EMT fussed with Danny for a few more minutes before they decided it wasn't anything serious. When Danny stood up, reassuring everyone that he was ok, Jackson stepped away to see his friend.

Hollis took a step forward as well but Lydia grabbed her hand, stopping her. She looked over her shoulder with a questioning look. "What?"

"I think we need to talk," Lydia said, pulling Hollis out of earshot of the crowd. "Ok, spill."

"Spill what?" Hollis asked, putting on her best clueless look.

"You know what, Hollis."

She sighed, a frown pulling down the corners of her mouth. "Ok, I...Scott...kissed me."

Lydia raised her eyebrows in surprise, quickly looking at the field. When Hollis followed her gaze, she could see that Scott was nowhere to be found. She did, however, see Stiles looking her way with a frown. It was obvious that he knew and, it was like a punch to the gut. Closing her eyes, she looked away. In just a day, everything had turned upside down and, she wasn't sure if there was anyway for her to fix it.

"So, what happened?" Lydia asked, coaxing her out of her thoughts.

Hollis started from the beginning; from Scott asking if Allison still liked him and his weird change in personality followed by the kiss to the rest of their bizarre conversation. She ended her account with Scott's last words to her about Stiles. Having recounted her conversation with him, she glanced towards Lydia to see her reaction.

Lydia stood there quietly, her expression troubled with an underlying look of anger. "I knew that you shouldn't have given him the benefit of the doubt. Scott's finally showing his true colors and they're ugly," she said.

"Maybe," Hollis said before she could rethink her answer. "I'm just saying, maybe there was a reason for him acting like that and –"

"You're seriously defending him after all of that?" Lydia asked in disbelief. "Hollis, stop trying to find excuses for him because there aren't any."

"Excuses for who?" Jackson asked, stepping towards them.

The girls exchanged a look before Lydia said, "Scott."

"What'd he do?" Jackson asked.

"You mean besides break Danny?" Lydia asked.

"And act like he didn't care that he hurt him?" Hollis added. The look of pure indifference on Scott's face was glued to her memory. The last thing she wanted to do was believe it but she couldn't think of any reasons for his behavior. Perhaps this was the real Scott and, everyone had been too blind to see him for who he was, her especially. "He just...we had a fight."

Jackson nodded as if it all made sense.

"Have you noticed anything off about him?" Hollis asked Jackson. She noticed the annoyed look on Lydia's face, as if everything they had just talked about had gone in one ear and out the other. "I know, Lydia, but..." She paused and sighed, turning back to Jackson. "You guys have practice almost every day. I just wanted to know if you noticed anything...weird."

"How should I know? I don't keep tabs on him," Jackson replied harshly. His expression relaxed seconds later before he added, "But I'll see if I can find anything out. I don't care about McCall but I don't want him to mess up our chances of getting State. No promises, though."

"Ok, thanks," Hollis said. Although she promised that she wouldn't defend him, there was still that tinge of a feeling that there was more to his behavior than she knew. Her eyes went back towards the field, where the practice had ended. The crowd had thinned out along with the players and Coach. She searched the remaining faces for Stiles but couldn't see him.

"They both left," Jackson said, knowing who she was looking for. "I'm going to get changed. I'll meet you at the car," he said to Lydia before leaving their side.

"Don't believe what Scott said," Lydia said, turning her attention back towards Hollis. "Stiles like you."

"How do you know?" Hollis asked, tilting her head. Now that she had finally come to terms with her feelings, she felt like she was back at square one. She was questioning everything from Stiles' almost saying that he likes her and ending with what Scott had told her just moments ago.

"I'm not blind, Hollis," Lydia said as if she had just been insulted. Her eye roll was covered up by the gentle smile that followed. "Besides, I saw the look on his face when he was looking over here. He was hurt because –"

"Because I kissed his best friend. Intentionally or not."

"Because, smarty pants," Lydia said, ignoring her comment, "he likes you. And he thinks you like Scott."

Hollis ran her hands through her hair, her hand getting caught in tangles that matched her confusing feelings. She wasn't sure what to think but Lydia's words caused a flare of hope to spark. "So, what do I do? He knows, Lyd."

Lydia sighed dramatically. "Do I have to do _everything_? Just go tell him what happened and _tell_ him. And, before you ask 'what', you know what."

"Thanks," Hollis said, quickly pulling her into a hug.

"So, do I have to come with you or...?" Lydia asked jokingly.

"I can handle it. I think," she said as they started their walk towards the school.

[- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -]

Hollis sat in her car for the better part of a half house before she pulled out of the school parking lot. The nerves still rattled inside her despite having had rehearsed what she would say. As she drove, those words floated around in her mind and she tried to fix each sentence until it was perfect. The closer she got to Stiles' house, the more jumbled her mind became. Everything she had rehearsed had faded from her mind, leaving only remnants that made little to no sense. Taking a deep breath, she let it out slowly.

When Hollis pulled up in front of his house, her heart sunk. The house stood dark against the late afternoon sky and, the blue Jeep was missing. She rested her head against the steering wheel and took in another deep breath. A moment passed before she recalled Stiles telling her he would be at Scott's after school. The last thing she wanted to do was see Scott again. The two times had been more than enough for her and, she didn't know if she could bear another weird conversation. After debating on whether she should just go home and call it quits or go to Scott's house, Hollis pulled away from the curb.

Scott's house came into view minutes later. The lights were on and a car sat parked in front of the house but it wasn't the Jeep she had hoped to see.

 _Now what?_ Hollis asked herself with a sigh and looked towards the house. She thought about calling Stiles but she wanted to have this conversation in person rather than through the phone. Shutting the engine off, she decided to wait a few minutes. But she didn't have to wait long. The faint sound of an engine filled the air, growing louder with each second. Headlights broke through the darkening afternoon and the blue Jeep came into view. It slowed to a stop behind the other car that was parked in front of the McCall residence. A sigh of relief left her lips at the sight of the car.

Hollis tried to ignore the fluttering of nerves that danced inside her and stepped out into the cool afternoon, the door closing with a light echo. She crossed the street just as Stiles jumped out of the car.

"Hey," she said softly. Her eyes went past him towards the house and, she kept her fingers crossed that Scott wouldn't show up at any minute.

Stiles blinked in surprise, a shadow of a smile passing his face. "Hey, Hollis." He followed her line of sight, the smile fading from his face when he realized where she was looking. "Scott's –"

"I'm not here to see him," she said quickly, looking back towards him. "Look, I...I don't know what Scott told you but I wanted to explain –"

"You don't have to," Stiles interrupted. "I already know. I figured it out."

Although Hollis suspected that he knew of what happened, she thought it was because Scott had told him. Instead, he had figured it out. In a way, it made her feel worse. She opened her mouth to speak but wasn't sure what to say to that. Everything that she had thought of to say was gone and her mind was a complete blank. She wanted to tell him that it wasn't what he thought but all she could come up with was, "You did? How?"

Stiles nodded but stayed quiet as if avoiding the question.

"Stiles," Hollis said, prompting him to talk. "Just talk to me. How did –"

"Because I asked him to talk to you, Hollis!" He sighed with a frown and averted her gaze. He struggled with his words, as if unsure if he really wanted to explain. When he spoke again, he lowered his voice. "I wanted him to find out, you know, if you...liked me." Stiles looked towards her then, the frown reaching his eyes. "But I guess I have my answer."

Hollis closed her eyes momentarily. By each second, she felt worse. She hadn't wanted Scott to kiss her but that didn't mean it kept the guilt of it away, especially now after hearing what he told her. "I didn't know," Hollis said quietly. "Scott _never_ asked me that. He...he just wanted to know if Allison still liked him. Then our conversation got weird and he kissed me and..." she trailed off with a shrug. She hoped that he believed her, that he trusted her enough to know that she wasn't lying.

Stiles looked at her, disbelief turning to surprise to hope. "He kissed you? So you didn't...?"

"Of course not," Hollis said adamantly. "I wouldn't."

"Right. Because of Allison," Stiles said, nodding as if she had confirmed it.

"Because of you." When he didn't say anything, she sighed. "Stiles, I'm trying to tell you that I like you," she said with a soft laugh as she closed the distance between them.

"Oh." When her words finally sunk in, he blinked and looked down at her. "Wait...you do?"

Hollis smiled as she looked up at him. A few silent seconds passed before she leaned forward and kissed him, her lips meeting his. Unlike the un-wanted kiss she had shared with Scott earlier that day, this one felt right. Stiles seemed to think so, too because he kissed her back and his arms enveloped her. In that moment, it was just them on the quiet street. Nothing else seemed to matter. Perhaps it wasn't the ideal time or place for their first kiss given the circumstances but it was right just the same.

Their kiss ended seconds later and, when it did, they each wore identical smiles.

"So, yes," Hollis said in reference to his question. "I like you."

"Me, too," Stiles said with a grin. "I mean, you. I like you. I always have." His smile wore off when he looked towards the house. "So, uh, sorry I thought, you know, what I thought," he said, breaking the silence that followed. "I mean, I should've let you explain but...I,"

"Don't be. I get it," Hollis told him.

Stiles ran a hand over his hair, sighing. "I just can't believe Scott would do that."

"I know. It doesn't sound like him," she said, frowning.

"It doesn't," Stiles agreed. "What did Scott say? You said he was weird at lunch, too."

The change in topic changed the mood, dampening it with thoughts that Hollis prefered to forget. But it was bound to come up; Stiles had a right to know, considering that Scott was his best friend. Hollis was worried about him all the same so she did want to fill him in on what she knew. Nevertheless, timing seemed to be off for everything that day.

"He just wasn't Scott," Hollis said, thinking back to earlier that day. "He looked and sounded different, too. Honestly, it was kind of creepy. Definitely not Scott," she said, glancing up at him. She wasn't even sure where to begin. Everything that she wanted to say made it seem surreal that it was Scott who did and said those things. She couldn't wrap her mind around it all or accept it. Hollis briefly looked towards the house then continued, repeating the words that Scott said during lunch and after when he asked to talk to her. When she reached the part about what Scott had said about Stiles, she paused and left it unsaid.

Stiles stayed silent, taking in what she had said. Although he looked conflicted, Hollis knew that he believed her. "What else? You can tell me the rest," he said. "I believe you, Hollis. Just...tell me."

"What makes you think there's more?" Hollis asked, surprised that he caught on to her cliffhanger ending.

"I know you. I can tell when you're not saying something," he told her. "You can tell me anything, you know that."

Hollis nodded. "I-Scott said that I get in everyone's business and just pretend that I care," she said and paused. But Stiles stayed silent, as if he knew that wasn't the end and nodded for her to continue. "He also told me that you don't like me. That you just feel sorry for me because of the accident." She watched Stiles for a reaction, taking in all the emotions that crossed his face from disbelief to shock to sadness. "I didn't believe him, you know, but..." Hollis told him, breaking the silence, "it hurt."

Anger replaced the sadness and, Stiles looked towards the house. "I'll kill him. He's my best friend but I'll kill him." He started towards the house but Hollis grabbed hold of his hand, stopping him from going further. "Hollis, he can't just say that, be a jerk who hurts you and just get away with it."

"Well, no, but killing him won't solve anything," Hollis told him gently, tugging on his arm to keep his focus on her than his anger at Scott. "Besides, I think there might be a reason for him acting like that. There has to be." Although she was still angry and hurt at his behavior, Hollis still believed that there was an explanation behind it all.

"Yeah, I guess you're right." Stiles returned his attention back to her, his gaze softening. "I'm sorry for my piece of crap friend."

Hollis couldn't help but smile at those words. "It's ok. I mean, it's not but it's still Scott."

Stiles nodded. "I'll talk to him. Find out what made him act like an idiot. I have a plan."

Hollis watched him turn towards the Jeep and pull out a heavy looking bag. He set it down on the sidewalk and a metallic clank filled the air. She gave the bag a questioning look before looking towards Stiles.

"Oh, that. It's a project. For class," Stiles said with a nod. "Econ," he added for emphasis.

She raised her eyebrow but then decided that she didn't want to know. Hollis had enough surprises for that day.

Stiles glanced up at the night sky where the full moon graced the velvety darkness. "I should go talk to him," he said as he looked back at her. "I'll call you later, ok?" He said, pulling her into a hug.

Hollis nodded as she returned the hug. It no longer felt awkward and, she felt like a weight lifted off her shoulders for finally telling him how she felt. Again, the timing hadn't been perfect but it all felt good, right. "I should probably get home, too. My dad's never going to let me out of the house again if I keep disappearing," she said with a laugh.

At that, they parted ways. Stiles went towards the house while Hollis went back to her car. She watched him enter the house and, only when the door closed, did she drive away.


	23. Chapter 23

_I'm only posting one chapter this time. The second one will be up soon hopefully( I haven't started writing it yet, so we'll see). But for now, enjoy this! Reviews are always welcome :)_

* * *

The faint sound of the doorbell entered into her dream and grew more persistent as it echoed throughout the quiet house. Hollis was pulled out of her soundless sleep and, she stirred in bed, groggy from the dream that still remained in her mind. At the sound of voices, she opened an eye and clumsily reached towards the nightstand for her phone. As she hit the button the screen came to life, illuminating the dark room. She squinted her eyes at the brightness yet forced herself to check the time.

 _Twelve-thirty_ , she read and sighed, quickly turning the phone off. The room was plunged back into darkness, one that didn't take long to adjust to. _Who's here so late?_ She asked herself. At the question, her thoughts turned to horrible ideas and panic nestled into her heart, making her blood run cold. Hollis sat up, trying to ease the rapid beating of her heart but it wouldn't slow. Not even a little bit. Swallowing the fear that threatened to paralyze, she pushed the covers off of herself and instantly felt the chill on her exposed skin. Despite the shivers, she climbed out of bed. Her eyes went to the window that overlooked the street. There were no flashing red and blue lights, which brought a wave of relief over her.

Now that the initial shock and panic started to ease, curiosity took its place. She went to the door, opening it a crack. The sound of a conversation downstairs crept into her room. The voices were low but she could make out a bit of what was being said.

"We were _this_ close, Grant. You can still help us," a woman's voice, filled with urgency, said.

"I'm not doing this. Not again," Grant answered. There was a note of finality to his words but the woman didn't relent.

"So you'd rather this person, this _monster_ , run free in town?" She asked, incredulous. "Look at all the people who could've been saved. Innocent people," she argued. "More will get hurt."

Grant stayed quiet. For a while, Hollis could hear nothing. But then the conversation picked up again.

"I know you're reluctant," another voice said, male this time. "We just want information. That's all."

Grant chuckled dryly. "Right. Because the last time I gave you information..." he trailed off. "The answer's no."

"The last time you helped," the woman started, "you prevented a lot of bad things from happening."

"Prevented?" Grant asked. His voice rose, filled with incredulousness at the word. "I betrayed my friends!" He shouted, the loudness scaring Hollis. "I-You... I was stupid when I trusted you. I blabbed information, thinking I was just letting off some steam only for that to be used against me. Against _them_."

"Yeah, well," the woman said and Hollis could picture her rolling her eyes; indifferent to what Grant had said. "Think of all the people you helped."

"You can do that again," the male pressed. "Just tell us what –" But the roar of an engine drowned his words out, leaving Hollis clueless on what he wanted to know.

"Look, you know what these people are capable of," the woman said.

"I also know what you're capable of, Kate. I'm not helping," Grant said. "Now get out," he said.

The voices retreated until the only sound was the door closing. The light downstairs turned off, plunging the house in darkness once more. Footsteps sounded on the stairs, creaking under the weight as Grant walked up. Quickly, Hollis closed the door and returned to bed. Thoughts drifted in her mind, questions about the conversation she had overheard and what information those people wanted. The woman's voice had sounded familiar as did her name but her tired mind couldn't place it. While the thoughts stirred, tangling around each other, she drifted off to sleep.

When Hollis woke up the next morning, she couldn't help but replay the conversation she had heard in her mind. There was something strange about it, something that her dad clearly wanted no part in. Again. She gulped down the uneasiness she felt and tried to go about her morning as best she could. Her morning routine pulled her out of her mind, which was exactly what she needed. By the time she was getting her books together, the conversation was far from her mind.

"You're leaving for school already?" Grant asked, appearing in the doorway to her room. His eyes traveled down to his watch then back at her. "You know it doesn't start for another forty-five minutes, right?"

Hollis looked up from the books she had been looking through. "Yeah, I know but..." she paused, taking the time to put a couple books into her bag. "I'm meeting up with Stiles before class."

"Ah, ok," he said with a nod, a smile dancing across his face.

Catching the look on his face, she tilted her head. "What?"

"Nothing," he answered. When Hollis returned to her books, he cleared his throat. "So," he started, "would this be Stiles your friend or Stiles your boyfriend?"

The book she had been holding slipped from her hand, landing on the floor with a thud. Hollis looked towards her dad with surprise. "I...How...?"

Grant chuckled at her reaction. "Of course I know," he said, confirming her suspicion. "You came home all smiles yesterday after having hung out with him. I figured that one of you finally told the other how you felt. Right?"

Hollis nodded dumbly, not knowing what to say to that. But for her sake (or not), he continued to talk.

"I'm honestly surprised it took you two this long," he added.

Mortified, she closed her eyes. "Seriously? Was it really _that_ obvious?" She asked and took that time to pick her book up off the floor. She clumsily put it into her bag then looked towards her dad.

"Yeah," Grant answered truthfully as if it couldn't have been anymore obvious. Thankfully, he sensed her embarrassment and ended the conversation. "You better go if you don't want to be late."

Relief crossed her face, although a tinge of embarrassment still turned her cheeks pink. Glad that the topic was over, she gathered her things and swung her bag onto her shoulder. Hollis stopped at the door and turned back to face him. A question sat at the tip of her tongue and she struggled with how best to phrase it. "Who was here last night? I heard the doorbell and then a couple voices downstairs." She watched him for a reaction but only the slightest flicker of emotion passed over it.

"Just a couple with car trouble," Grant answered easily. "I lent them the jumper cables and, thankfully their car started."

She took a moment to process his lie, trying to keep a poker face at the information she knew to be false. With great effort, Hollis smiled. "I'm glad it wasn't anything serious," she said then turned and left the room.

[- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -]

"...Kinda crazy. The whole body was burned," Stiles rambled, filling Hollis in on the kid whose burnt body was found in the woods last night. He looked towards her, noticing the far away look in her eyes and stopped talking. "You ok?" He asked, giving her hand a gentle squeeze.

She snapped out of her jumbled thoughts, a sheepish smile tugging at her lips. "Yeah, sorry. I'm just thinking." A sigh escaped her lips, as her dad's occupied her mind. Turning, Hollis looked out the window of the blue Jeep. The school stood before her, quiet and not yet full of students. A few cars were scattered in the parking lot, mostly belonging to faculty members. Cars trickled in every now and then and, it wouldn't be long before the lot was packed. Lost in her thoughts, she felt Stiles' gaze on her. Hollis glanced over at him, knowing that he was waiting for her to talk. "I overheard a conversation between my dad and a couple people last night. They wanted him to help them. To give them information on someone, some _thing_ , they wanted to stop. Apparently, he helped them before but he didn't seem too happy about it. Mentioned that he betrayed his friends for them. I don't know. It seemed kind of off."

Stiles nodded slowly, absorbing what she had just said. "Did you ask your dad about it?"

"Yeah," she said, a frown inching onto her face. "He told me they had car trouble."

"Well, maybe –"

"They didn't, Stiles," Hollis interrupted. She wished that _had_ been the truth, that she hadn't witnessed her dad lie but she did. And it hurt. "It was around one in the morning. It's not just that my dad lied but how easy it was for him, you know? Kinda wonder what else he lied about."

"Maybe it's not what it seems," Stiles suggested quickly. "I'm just saying, don't think your dad's a liar based on one lie he told."

Hollis nodded, knowing there was some truth to his words. It was one lie. Perhaps there had been a reason for him not telling her the full story. Once again, she decided to go with the benefit of the doubt. The conversation still reeled around in her mind, making her wonder what information they had wanted and who they had been after but she let those thoughts die down. She smiled softly before she voiced her next question. "So, how did it go with Scott last night?"

"He was still acting weird, like a jerk. But I yelled at him for, you know, acting like a jerk. And for what he said to you."

"Thanks," Hollis said. "Did you find out why he was like that? I mean, it's not Scott at all. At least, I hope it's not."

Stiles shrugged. He looked unsure of what to say to that and stayed quiet for a moment. "I don't know. I mean, it could be because he was upset over the breakup but...that doesn't make sense, does it? Maybe he's just going through a lot and, I don't know, acted out. But I think he'll be better today," he said. "I talked some sense into him," he added with a smile.

"I hope so," she said.

They sat in the car for another few minutes, changing topics of conversation and listening to music. Before they knew it, the parking lot was packed and students filtered out of their cars towards the building.

"Guess we should go, too," Hollis said, sighing. She didn't want to, though and the reluctance showed on her face.

"Yeah, I guess," Stiles said but he didn't make a move to get out either.

"At this rate, we'll sit here all day," she said with a laugh.

"I think I can live with that," he said.

"So, let's do it," she suggested. "Just skip the whole day and hangout."

"That's tempting. Really, really tempting but..." Stiles said.

"We can't. I know," she said, wrinkling her nose.

"Let's go," Stiles said with a laugh, although he didn't look any happier about it.

"Wait," Hollis said, stopping him from opening the door. Before he could talk, she leaned across the seat and quickly kissed him. "Ok," she said with a smile that matched the one Stiles wore, "now we can go."

They didn't get more than a few feet before a figure blocked their path. Scott stood in front of them. He looked nervous and, much to Hollis' relief, like himself. Nevertheless, she took an involuntary step back from him. Stiles noticed and took hold of her hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

"Hey, buddy," Stiles said. "You feeling ok?"

"I think so, yeah," Scott answered with a nod. "I was kind of hoping to talk to you," he continued, turning his eyes to Hollis.

She froze. The last time she had heard those words, their conversation had gone downhill.

"Hollis?" Scott asked expectantly.

"Uh, yeah. That's fine," she heard herself say; although she wasn't as confident about her answer as she had hoped to be.

"Do you want me to stick around?" Stiles asked quietly. "I can, if you want."

Hollis smiled at his offer but shook her head. "Thanks but I think I'll be okay."

Stiles nodded. "Alright. Well, I'll just be over here. You know, waiting," he said and stepped off to the side.

Hollis and Stiles moved aside as well so as not to be in the middle of the sidewalk. Once they were out of the way of the other students, an awkward silence took place between them. She glanced around at the people walking from the parking lot to the school and then to where Stiles stood. He kept his attention on them and, when he saw her looking, he smiled. Hollis returned the smile before turning to break the silence.

"So, what's up?" Hollis asked seconds later, echoing the same words from the last time Scott asked to talk to her. She just hoped that it would go differently this time. With one look at him, she could see that the old Scott was in front of her and that alone made the nerves weaken.

"I'm sorry, Hollis," Scott started, guilt-stricken. "I acted like a jerk yesterday and, I know you're mad –"

"Of course I'm mad," Hollis interrupted. "And hurt. Do you know how many times I stood up for you this past week, Scott? How I tried to convince everyone that what you did was to keep us safe?" She looked up at him and saw regret on his face. She knew that his apology was sincere, that this Scott standing in front of her was not the person she had encountered the other day. Despite all that, she continued to talk. "I even defended you _after_ everything you said yesterday. I'm just having a hard time understanding why you would act like that. It wasn't you."

"It wasn't. I know," Scott said, nodding. "I honestly don't know what got into me. It's like I was me but, at the same time, I wasn't. Does that even make any sense?" He asked, more to himself than to her.

Regardless of whether the question was rhetorical or not, she nodded.

Scott struggled with his words. "But...I guess with what happened at the school and with Allison, I kind of lost it. And I took it out on you even though you were trying to help. So, I'm sorry."

Hollis believed him. Despite everything he said yesterday, she knew that he hadn't meant it. That he was sorry. She still felt hurt but she forgave him. "Ok," she said with a nod. "You're forgiven."

"Really?" Scott asked in surprise. He blinked a couple times and, noticing the smile that worked its way onto her face, he smiled back. "Wow...thanks. You know that I didn't mean anything that I said yesterday, right? About you turning everyone against me or about Stiles."

"Yeah, I know," she said. "Still hurts but I know."

"Speaking of Stiles, he does like you, Hollis. A lot. You know, he actually wanted me to see if you liked him back but..." he trailed off and looked over his shoulder at Stiles. "You already knew that, though, didn't you?"

Hollis smiled as she followed his line of sight. A smile stretched across her face before she nodded. "Yeah, we talked."

Scott looked back at her with a knowing look. "Finally."

She rolled her eyes yet the smile remained. "Why does everyone keep saying that?"

"Because it took you two long enough to admit that you like one another," Scott said matter-of-factly. "It was pretty obvious."

[- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -]

It was Wednesday, a week after Hollis and her friends had been trapped in the school. It still felt surreal but, with each moment she spent walking those halls and sitting in the classrooms, she started to move on from that night. It still clung to her, it's claws refusing to let go but she no longer felt as anxious. The memories were still there but fading.

The hallway was quiet when Hollis stepped out of her classroom, passing by rooms that were in the midst of a lesson and packed with students who looked less than thrilled to be there. She walked the memorized path towards her locker, trying to waste as much time as possible before returning to class. But her locker was nearby, which meant wasting time wasn't much of a possibility. As she neared it, the sound of voices around the corner reached her ears and she stopped mid-step and listened, the trip to her locker forgotten.

"Why'd you send those? Are you trying to make me feel even worse for breaking up with you?" Allison asked, her voice echoing in the empty hallway.

"No. I thought you'd like them. I thought it would remind you of us—" Scott started but his sentence remained unfinished.

"Are you trying to hurt me? Get back at me? Because kissing my _best friend_ just wasn't enough?" Allison asked, pain threading through her words.

"No, I-," Scott said, while Hollis winced at those words. "That was a mistake, okay? A _big_ mistake."

"Please, don't talk to me. I need more time to get to _just friends_. Okay? Please." Allison said.

Hollis peaked around the corner in time to see Allison walking away from Scott. She frowned at their exchange, even more so at Allison knowing of their kiss. Although she was aware that Allison knew (thanks to Lydia, who wanted to make a point of how untrustworthy Scott is), it still didn't make it hurt any less. Allison had forgiven her, knowing that Hollis wouldn't have hurt her like that but the guilt still poured into her and became insufferable.

"Ali," she said, stepping out of her hiding spot.

Allison paused when she saw her then kept walking down the hall.

"Ali, _wait_ ," Hollis said but those words didn't stop her best friend from walking away. With a sigh, she turned on her heel and followed her into the bathroom Allison had disappeared into. The door closed automatically behind her with a soft thud that echoed in the small restroom. Allison's back was to her but Hollis could see her reflection.

"I'm ok, Hollis," Allison said, catching her eye in the mirror.

"I'm so sorry, Ali," Hollis said, taking a step towards her. "That kiss _was_ a huge mistake. I would never hurt you like that. Scott –" She stopped herself, unsure of where she had been going with that sentence. She _had_ wanted to say that Scott had kissed her but she didn't want to throw him under the bus. He had apologized to her and, it wouldn't be fair to him. The last thing she wanted to do was confuse Allison more. While she contemplated on what else to say, Allison beat her to the punch.

"I know and, I'm not mad at you," Allison said, tearing her through her thoughts. "Scott's the one who should be apologizing for kissing you. For sending me those pictures. I don't know what he wanted to accomplish with that."

"He already said sorry about a dozen times," Hollis told her, referring to the kiss. "As for the pics, I don't think he meant it to hurt you. I think it was just a reminder of you two together. He kind of had bad timing with that one but his intentions were good."

Allison turned around and crossed her arms as she leaned against the sink. "How can you defend him after everything that he did?" She asked, incredulous.

"It's Scott, Allison," Hollis said simply. "If it was anyone else, I don't think I'd forgive them that easily." She paused, letting the silence fill the space between them. "Besides, I've known him since kindergarten. Scott's never done anything like this. Even though we haven't been friends until this year, I know that he's a good person. He made a mistake but I can't hold that against him forever."

Allison sighed audibly, shaking her head. "I don't know how you do it, Hollis."

"Do what?" She asked.

"Forgive people despite what they've done," Allison said. "You make it look so easy to forgive and forget."

"It's not easy," Hollis said with a laugh. "I've been wrong so many times but..." she paused, shrugging. "I just know I would hate it if people believed the worst of me so I try to give everyone a chance. No matter what." Allison remained quiet so she continued. "Besides, it's a lot easier if it's someone you know and trust."

"So, you think I should forgive Scott?" Allison asked.

Hollis smiled at her quick thinking. "Yeah, I do. You should give him a second chance," she told her. "But only when you're ready."

"No idea when that will be but...I'll try," Allison said.

"Good," Hollis said. "Hey, so we should probably get back to class. I still need to stop at my locker." She took a step back but Allison didn't follow. "You coming?"

"Yeah. I just...I guess I just need another minute," she told her. "I'll be okay, though."

"Ok." With one last look in her direction, she turned and walked out into the hallway.

It was quiet like before as she made her way towards her locker. Once she reached it, she quickly rummaged around for the book she had forgotten. As she did so, she tried to think of an excuse on why it took her so long to get her book and return to class: she forgot her locker combo and she left her book in the car were some of the excuses that came to mind. But she knew that her teacher was unlikely to believe them. With a sigh, she closed the door and jumped back at the sight of Scott leaning against the lockers.

"Scott," she said, trying to get her breathing under control. "What are you doing? Are you trying to give me a heart attack?"

"No, sorry," Scott said sheepishly. "I, uh...how's she doing?"

"She's ok," Hollis answered, shifting her book. "But I stood up for you. Again."

He smiled gratefully. "You did? Thanks. You've been doing that a lot."

"Yeah, well, what are friends for?" Hollis said. "But she just needs more time," she continued. "I get you were trying to remind her of your time together but sending those pictures now was a bad idea. I think she feels like you're pressuring her into forgiving you."

"I'm not," Scott said, shaking his head. "I swear. I just...," he trailed off with a sigh. "I just want her back."

"I know," she told him gently.

"Think she'll forgive me?" He asked hopefully.

Hollis tilted her head, a smile tugging at her lips. "She will if you just give her some space. It's what she needs right now. Trust me, ok?"

Scott nodded at her words.

She shifted the books in her hand and they reminded her of why she was there. "Look, I need to get back to class but just remember what I said."

[- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -]

The rest of the day went by pretty quickly much to Hollis's surprise. The lacrosse quarterfinals were that night, which filled the day with an exciting energy; an energy that she felt as she walked to her locker. Even the people who didn't care for sports felt it. Everyone buzzed with excitement, confident that they would win that night and enter the semi-finals.

Pulling the locker door open, she frowned at the textbooks that reminded her of the homework she still had to do. She wished the teachers had eased up on it, considering that everyone would be at the game that night. But that was just a wish that hadn't come true. Wrinkling her nose, she started to gather her books and placed them haphazardly into her bag. The ones that didn't fit, she held in her arms. When she closed the door, she spotted Lydia and Jackson not too far from where she was. But, given the short distance, she couldn't hear their words over the dozens of other conversations that filled the hall. Hollis moved closer but stopped when a few words reached her ears.

"I wonder how many _minutes_ it will take to get over that," Lydia said indignantly as Jackson moved past her. "Oh wait... _Seconds_ ," she added but he was already out of earshot of her words, walking through the crowd that littered the hall.

As he passed, Hollis caught the satisfied smirk on his face. She watched as he disappeared around the corner before she turned her attention back to Lydia. She crossed the short distance between them and soon she stood by her side.

"What just happened? Did you two fight again?" Hollis asked, knowing that not a day could go by without them fighting.

"Kind of. Jackson... _We_ broke up," she stated flatly.

Tilting her head, she frowned. "Lyd...I'm sorry."

"Don't be," Lydia told her with a shake of her head. She put on her brightest smile, flipping her hair over her shoulder. "I'm already over it."

"No, you're not," Hollis said. "You don't have to pretend with me, you know. You guys were together for a while and, it's ok to admit that it hurts."

Lydia's smile faltered but she managed to fix it. Hollis guessed that it was to keep up appearances although whom she wanted to keep the façade up for, she didn't know. She guessed it was more for herself than the other students milling about who had no idea what had just happened.

"So, what happened? Did he say why?" Hollis asked.

At this, Lydia rolled her eyes and scoffed. "No. He just sent me this," she said before she brought up the text message on her phone. She held it out and waited until Hollis finished reading it then put it back in her bag. "No explanation. Just...that."

"I'm –" Hollis stopped herself from saying 'I'm sorry' again. She knew those words were just empty and that 'I'm Sorry' hardly ever fixed anything even if it had good intentions. "How about we hang out tonight? Order in and watch movies like we used to," she suggested.

"So you can miss Stiles' first game? Thanks, Hollis, but no."

"I'm sure he would understand," she said. As much as she wanted to be at the game, she also wanted to be there for her. Lydia had always been the number one person in her life, the one who stood by her side when all hell broke loose. She wanted to return the favor.

"He would," Lydia agreed with a smile. "But, no. I can't let you do that. Even if I think he's weird, annoying, sarcastic and...What was my point again?" She asked herself before she nodded, remembering. "Oh, yeah. Anyway, like I was saying, you two just got together. I'd be an idiot if I let you miss that game. Besides, I might be there to show Jackson that I'm not sitting in my room crying my eyes out over some _co_ -captain."

Hollis laughed softly at her words. "You should come to the game. It'll be fun."

"I'll see you there," Lydia said with a big smile.

She smiled in return before they both parted ways. Although the hall was thinning of students, it still took some time to get through it. When she made it to the double doors, Hollis gently pushed them open and let the light from the outside world flood into the school. As soon as the doors closed with a clang, her mood soured. Jackson greeted her with his self-assured smile, blocking her path.

"What do you want, Jackson?" Hollis asked, sighing.

"What's wrong with you?" Jackson asked, taken aback by her greeting.

"You," she said but, when he didn't say anything, she continued. "You broke up with Lydia. Or did you forget already?"

Jackson arched an eyebrow. "So what? I didn't get mad when you broke up with Carter."

He had a point but then, so did she. "Yeah but you broke up with her through a _text_. I mean, seriously? You couldn't just tell her to her face?"

"I did. After I sent it," Jackson said, pausing. "It still counts," he argued.

Hollis rolled her eyes at his words then eyed the parking lot with envy. Just a second would have been the difference between her being by her car and not talking with Jackson. But luck wasn't on her side and here she was. "Did you at least give her a reason?"

Jackson gave her a look that said 'what-do-you-think?' "I told her that there are big changes happening and, I needed to drop some dead weight to prepare for them."

" _Please_ tell me that you didn't say those exact words to her," she pleaded. But, one look at his face, she already knew the answer. "Seriously, Jackson? Can you not be a jerk for like one day?"

"She'll get over it," he said quickly, swatting away at her judgmental tone as if it was a pesky fly.

"Yeah, she will," Hollis told him. She took in the shock on his face, the tiniest hint of pain and it almost brought a smile to her face. Almost. She was happy to see that he did feel something even though he hid it well. That satisfaction that she felt didn't stop her from putting more salt in the wound. "What? Did you think Lydia would just sit in her room and cry? No. She'll get over it."

The shocked, almost pained expression was quickly replaced by one of indifference. "Good."

Shifting her books, Hollis cast one more look towards the parking lot. "So, did you actually want something or...?"

"I found something out about McCall. I thought you'd want to know since you asked me to tell you if I noticed anything weird but, if you're not interested..." he trailed off, watching her for a reaction.

"What is it?" She asked, curiosity winning over the urge to leave.

"It explains a lot," he started. "How he suddenly became so good at lacrosse, why he acted so weird on Monday, why –"

"Scott's not on drugs, Jackson," Hollis interrupted with a shake of her head. "I'm pretty sure we've been through this."

"I know." For a fraction of a second, a smirk appeared on his face and he took a step towards her. "It's even better."

Hollis waited for him to continue but he stayed quiet. Seconds passed and, when he didn't speak, her patience started to thin. "Are you going to tell me or did you want to play twenty questions?"

He scowled at her words then leaned towards her and lowered his voice. "Scott's a werewolf."

She stared up at him, trying to figure out if he was serious and, a smile broke out on her face. "A-a _werewolf_. Are you sure that you're not on something?"

"I'm serious, Hollis. It's true," Jackson said and continued before she could interrupt. "Look, it explains every weird thing that's happened in this town since the first attack. Like what we saw at the video store, what chased us in the school last week. It makes _sense_. I know you don't believe the whole mountain lion story the cops are selling. You doubted it first and you were right. There's something weird going on in this town."

Hollis let the information sink in. It did make sense, a weird and dark kind of sense. It was the weird theory she had been humoring but, hearing it aloud from someone else's mouth, it was ridiculous. How she ever entertained that idea, she didn't know. "Ok, so you're telling me that Scott's a werewolf _and_ that he's responsible for all those...murders?"

"He didn't kill anyone," Jackson said, shaking his head. "I think someone else is behind that. Another werewolf. Maybe even a whole group of them."

She shook her head slowly, disbelief on her face. "That's... Jackson, this is _crazy_. You expect me to believe this? In supernatural creatures? That Scott is..." Jackson shrugged with indifference but that carelessness didn't resonate on his face. He believed this. She could see that. "Did you ask Scott if he's a...werewolf?" she asked, putting great strain on that word that seemed so impossible.

"I didn't have to. The look on his face was enough. He looked –"

"Amused? Shocked? Worried about your mental health?"

"No," Jackson said adamantly. "Like someone punched him in the face. Like someone just figured out his deepest, darkest secret. _That's_ how he looked."

Hollis opened her mouth to reply but closed it, unsure of what to say. If what Jackson had said was true then...but she couldn't believe it. It was all so ridiculous. And it was Jackson telling her this, someone that she didn't trust all that much.

"If you don't believe me," Jackson said with a shrug, pausing for a few seconds before he continued, "then ask Stiles."

At this, she looked up at him. "What?"

"Ask him." Jackson took a step back, the mirror of a smirk playing on his face. Then he turned and walked away, leaving her alone with an overload of information. His words swam in her mind. Just when it all started to make sense in some weird and twisted way, it turned into something incongruous.

Hollis didn't know how long she stood there lost in her thoughts. When she finally pulled herself out of her mind, she realized that she was back at square one. She didn't know what was true or a lie or what was even logical. Everything that Jackson had told her made sense. Since the first murder, which may or may not have had involved her parents, she questioned it all. The mountain lion, the mysterious ways people had died down to what she had seen with her own eyes. Although she didn't want to believe it, she couldn't help but think 'what if'. What if he was right? What if there was something supernatural in Beacon Hills that brought those myths to life?

She shook her head, which hurt from the information and over thinking. Sighing, she knew that Jackson was right with something else. If she didn't believe him, there was someone else she could ask. Stiles. He wouldn't lie to her. So when Hollis stood in front of his bedroom door, she hoped that he could disprove Jackson's' words. She needed him to say that it wasn't true; that he didn't know anything and that it was absolutely insane.

The door flew open seconds after she knocked and, she stared up at Stiles who wore his usual smile.

"Your dad let me up," Hollis told him as a form of greeting.

"Oh, ok. Do you want to..." he trailed off, opening the door wider and gesturing for her to come in. When she entered the room, he turned to her. "So, what's up?"

"Is Scott a werewolf?" Hollis asked, the words tumbling out of her mouth before she could stop them. Although she had wanted to ask that question since Jackson confronted her, she hadn't wanted to blurt it out like that. But it was out in the open now. The only thing she could do was wait. As she did, the seconds stretched and became unbearable. She watched him for a reaction but couldn't tell if he was shocked at the absurdity of the question or at her knowing the (maybe) truth. Closing the distance between them, she took hold of his hand. "Sorry, I know how crazy that sounds. But is he? Are werewolves actually real?" Hearing herself say that word, ask that question made her feel silly.

"I...uhm, no?" Stiles stuttered. "I just...I mean... Who did you hear that from?"

"Jackson."

"Jackson?" Stiles asked, the color draining from his face. "He-he told you? About that?"

Hollis nodded. "Yeah. He said how Scott didn't deny it and that it all made sense. All those attacks and weird things that happened." She noticed the worry on his face and tilted her head. "Look, I know I shouldn't believe him but –"

"Did... Do you know if he told anyone else?" Stiles asked. A note of panic entered his voice as well as his expression.

Hollis shrugged. "I don't know. I don't think so," she answered. "Besides, it's not like any of this is real, right? It can't be. No one would even believe him. It'd just be some crazy rumor."

"I – Oh, crap," Stiles said, shaking his head. "Look, Hollis, I, uhm, I should've told you that –"

"Told me what?" Hollis interrupted, caution threading her tone. She searched his face and was soon met with her answer. It was like a slap to the face and, she stood there stunned and speechless. "Are you telling me that this is true? That-that Scott's... That werewolves..." she trailed off, studying his expression, which only told her more of what she hoped hadn't been true.

He hung his head at her words and only managed a nod. "Yeah," he said softly. "It's-it's all, you know, true."

With disbelief, Hollis shook her head. Dropping his hand, she took a step back. "How can any of this be true?" She asked, her mind racing with thoughts and questions. "I mean, werewolves? Are you serious?"

"Yeah. I know, it's crazy," Stiles agreed. "But it's true."

Hollis ran a hand through her hair, unable to wrap her mind around this. She paced in a circle around the room, trying to let this sink in. But this information was like a rock that was slowly sinking to the bottom of the ocean. Part of her had believed this because it made sense in a crazy way but the other part doubted it. It was fiction, something that should only exist in movies and books and now...it was real. Everything that she had believed in and doubted started to crash together, making her head hurt.

"When did this become reality?" Worry spread across her face and she looked towards Stiles. "Wait...is Scott ok? Is he...is he even Scott anymore? How could that have happened? Is that why he was asking so weird on Monday?" She asked, rambling off one question after the other.

Stiles put his hands on her arms to stop her from her pacing. He looked down at her with a reassuring yet sad smile. "It's kind of a long and complicated story, Hollis," he said, sighing. "But Scott got bit. In the woods that day he found half of the body. He's –"

"Wait," Hollis interrupted as her mind caught up with his words. "That would have happened the day before the first day of school," she said slowly, looking up at him. "Did you know all this time?"

"I..." Stiles started but stopped. "Yeah, I-I knew."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Hollis asked, pulling out of his grasp.

"It's not that simple," he told her. "I should've but it...I...it wasn't my secret to tell, Hollis. It was Scott's and I..."

His words made sense but only for a few seconds. Then they morphed into the anger that was bubbling under her skin. Anger at the secrets, the lies, everything. "I get it, Stiles, I _really_ do but..." she paused and shrugged. "You _knew_ all this time. Not just about Scott but you knew the reason for all those deaths. That it wasn't just some mountain lion terrorizing the town."

Stiles remained quiet and watched the pained expression on her face as she talked. "I couldn't tell you, Hollis," he said quietly.

"Couldn't or wouldn't?" Hollis asked, unsure of which she preferred. She didn't let him talk and cut him off just before a word could get out. "I _trusted_ you, Stiles. More than anyone and...you lied. You kept this from me, despite how many times I brought it up."

"You don't know how dangerous and complicated all this is. What we've dealt with since the first day," he argued.

"No, I don't," Hollis agreed, shaking her head. "Because you didn't tell me anything! If I knew, if you had told me, I could've –"

"Could've what, Hollis? Helped us?" Stiles asked and his voice rose not with anger but panic. "I know you would've done anything to help us. You would've put yourself in danger over and over and, I couldn't let you do that."

A sigh escaped her lips as she ran a hand through her hair. "Would you have even told me? If Jackson hadn't told me today, would you have said anything?"

"No," Stiles said quickly, surprising her. "Not if it meant you getting hurt." He took a step towards her and reached out to her but she avoided his grasp and stepped back. "Hollis...if anything happened to you, if you got hurt in anyway I... I would never forgive myself for putting you in that situation. I would literally go out of my mind if you got hurt...or worse."

His words eased the pain and anger but the buffer only lasted so long. As much as Hollis understood the reasoning behind his actions, she couldn't forgive him. Perhaps if she hadn't gone to him with so many of her theories then it wouldn't have hurt so much. But she had. And he had told her it was nothing. That was what hurt and what she couldn't forget.

They stood in silence for several seconds, staring at each other and willing the other to talk.

"I'm sorry, Hollis," Stiles said, breaking the heavy silence.

"I know," she said with a nod, believing him. "But I don't think I can do this."

"Do what?" Stiles asked. He took a step closer but, when she backed away again, he stopped. "Forgive me? Or us?"

Hollis shrugged as she avoided eye contact with him. "I don't know," she said quietly. "Both, I think." She didn't wait to see if he said anything else. She didn't want to see the pained look that she knew was on his face. All she needed, _wanted_ , was to be out of that house. Opening the door, she stepped out into the hallway and took the stairs down two at a time.

When she stepped out the front door, the crisp air hit her but she barely felt it. Her lungs seemed to seize, not able to take in any of the air around her. Because of that, she felt lightheaded and her heartbeat quickened considerably. Hollis stumbled towards her car and, once inside, she closed the door. In the deafening silence and thick air, she felt the punch of the panic attack. It hit her hard, much like it had since the accident but she hadn't had one in weeks and had forgotten how horrifyingly scary they were. She tried to gasp for air but only a portion of the air she tried to suck in made it to her lungs. Hollis counted in her mind, tried to focus on her breathing like she was taught but none of that worked. The only person who could help her overcome the attack was in the house across the street. But he was also the one person she didn't want to talk to. The only person she could depend on in that moment was herself.

Hollis focused on trying to get through the panic attack but on her own, it was hard and near impossible. She didn't know how long she sat there, how long the panic attack went on for before it ended. It was only a few minutes but those minutes felt more like hours to her. It was terrible and, the attack left her drained and terrified. It was over, though and, as scary as it was, she survived it. She would have felt better to have someone there with her during that time, telling her that she would get through it but she had been alone. Now that the worst of it was over, she was able to drive away. Hollis cast one last look at the house then started the car.

[- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -]

Hollis's eyes were glued to her laptop, at the multiple tabs that were open with information she wished she could un-know. Now that she knew the truth about the weird occurrences in Beacon Hills, about werewolves, she couldn't stop thinking about it. Every bad thing that every happened in the town now made her wonder if it was supernatural related or not. She dug into the town myths her dad told her about and the accounts of witnesses who swore it was something 'supernatural'. But rather than make her feel better, it made her feel worse. Hollis had humored her theories but never would have thought they would be real.

Stiles' words continued to replay in her mind. From his reasoning behind keeping her in the dark to the fact that werewolves actually exist. Her head spun and hurt from so many things that she didn't know what the original cause was. But whether it was the truth, her fight with Stiles or the panic attack, she didn't know and didn't think it mattered.

Hollis switched to another tab and scanned over the article about werewolves from their origin and history to sightings. But everything she read was fiction. It was written to humor people, to be read in fairy tales and watched in movies. Whatever she read, she didn't know if it applied to the real thing. Running her hand through her hair, she felt her head near ready to burst. Sighing in frustration she, she glanced down at the phone that remained untouched by her side. She pressed the button, bringing the screen to life to see that several unanswered texts and calls greeted her. All from Stiles.

"What's got you so frustrated?" Grant asked, appearing in the doorway.

Hollis looked up from the phone, thankful for the interruption. "Just...This research."

"Homework?" He asked, nodding towards the laptop as he took a few steps into the room.

"Yeah, something like that." She slowly closed the top of the laptop, not wanting her dad to peak over and see what she was looking at. The last time she had brought up this topic, back when she hadn't believed it, her dad had refused to humor it. The last thing she wanted was for another fight to unravel. "It's nothing. I just have a headache and, I can't focus," she told him. "So, what's up?"

"Nothing," Grant answered. "I was actually going to ask you the same thing."

She tilted her head to the side, not knowing what he meant.

"The lacrosse game is tonight. I figured that you'd be on your way out by now," Grant explained.

"Oh, right," Hollis said, nodding. "I would be but –"

"You're not going," Grant finished for her. When she shook her head, confirming his suspicion, he sighed. "Didn't you tell me that Stiles is playing tonight? His first game?" Again, when she nodded, he continued. "You're not going to support him?"

"He'll be ok," Hollis said confidently, but whether she was trying to convince her dad of this or herself, she didn't know. It was probably the latter or a mix of both. She had promised to be at the game but, then again, Stiles had promised not to lie to her. She knew she was being stubborn and childish but she didn't care. Or at least she didn't care in that moment.

"What happened?" Grant asked.

"Nothing," she said but when her dad stayed silent, waiting for her to give him an answer, she continued with a sigh. "We had a fight. I don't exactly feel like being supportive right about now."

Grant stayed silent for a moment. "I think you should still go, Hollis."

"Why?" Hollis asked, shrugging. "What's the point, dad? I can't...I don't think I can forgive him. At least not yet."

"Because you still like him," Grant said, catching her off guard. He chuckled at her reaction. "And you shouldn't let one mistake outweigh all the good."

A small smile appeared on her face and, she shook her head. "You sound like a fortune cookie." The funny thing was, she basically said the exact same thing to Allison earlier that day. So much for listening to her own advice.

"A fortune cookie that's right," he said with a smile. "Your mother used to tell me that all the time. About one mistake not outweighing the good and, she was right."

Hollis frowned at the mention of her mom. It was still painful to think about, despite how much time had passed. The pain had subsided but it was there. Always.

"I'll let you get back to whatever you were doing," Grant said, filling the silence. "But think about what I said. If you want to go, you should."

[- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -]

Hollis did think about what he had said. Those words still echoed around in her mind as she crossed the field towards the overflowing bleachers. The game hadn't begun yet but she could see the players were on the field, getting ready. The same feeling of excitement lingered in the air as it had in the school that day. It didn't latch onto her, though. Hollis's mind was still buzzing with information overload and the anger and betrayal that she felt was like a weight in her heart. Her being here didn't mean that she forgave Stiles but her dad was right, in a way. One mistake shouldn't erase all the good and, there had been a lot of good. He had made a mistake, broken her trust but that was fixable. Or so she hoped.

She wanted to forgive him and for them to move on from this one lie that had turned her world upside down (again). But Hollis valued trust much like she valued friendship and family. She gave it away easily, perhaps too easily, but she also gave it away with care. She didn't hand it out to just anyone, so when she put her trust in someone it was because she knew they wouldn't hurt her. But to have that trust broken was like a knife in the heart. The blade had been removed but fragments of it still remained, pinching here and cutting there.

When she crossed the field, her eyes scanned all the players. As much as she didn't want to confront Stiles, she was disappointed when she didn't see him. She did see Scott, though, sitting with Jackson. They seemed to be in the middle of a conversation. Hollis felt unsure if she should approach him after everything that she knew. It was true that she was hesitant, scared even. But all those weeks that she had talked with him, spent time with him, he had been a werewolf. She just hadn't known that at the time. Now that she did, it shouldn't matter.

 _It's still Scott_ , she told herself. Putting one foot in front of the other, she walked towards where he sat. As she did, their hushed conversation reached her ears.

"I can't do it. It has to be an Alpha," Scott said.

"Then you get him to do it," Jackson said.

"I don't even know who he is," Scott said, shaking his head. "Trust me..." He trailed off and looked up to see Hollis standing there. His eyes got wide and he looked towards Jackson before looking back at her. "I, uh, hey. Hollis. What...we were just talking. It's-it's nothing but it –"

 _It's still Scott_ , Hollis confirmed by his stammering. It made her feel better to know that, as if it silenced the truth of what he was. "It's ok, Scott. I know."

"You-you know? What exactly do you know?" Scott asked, giving nothing away.

Hollis didn't want to say it aloud so she nodded towards Jackson. "He told me."

Recognition showed on Scott's face and then he looked towards Jackson. "You _told_ her?"

"She was worried about you," Jackson said matter-of-factly. "I didn't tell anyone else, ok?"

"I won't tell. I promise," Hollis told Scott.

Scott nodded at her words.

Hollis managed a small smile despite feeling unsure about everything. She still didn't know half of what was going on or how or why and that rested heavily on her mind. Sadly, she didn't think she would know the full story. "Have you seen Stiles? I looked for him but..."

"He's going to be late. But he'll be here," Scott answered.

Hollis nodded, looking over her shoulder. She pulled her phone out, wanting to text Stiles to see where he was. With one look down at her screen, which was still full of the ignored texts and calls from him, she decided against it. She was still angry, hurt and confused to get into a conversation about it all. She placed her phone back in her pocket and turned back to conversation that had continued while her mind had been elsewhere.

"No, jerkoff. There's a whole family of them. And they carry assault rifles. You get that? _Assault rifles_ ," Scott said, emphasizing the word 'assault'. He looked behind him quickly as if whoever it was he was talking about was behind him.

Both Hollis and Jackson followed his gaze. But the only person she saw was Allison sitting with her family.

"Them?" Jackson asked.

"What?" Scott asked, sounding panicky. "No, no, no—"

"That actually makes sense," Jackson said quietly.

"What are you guys talking about?" Hollis asked, the whole conversation going way over her head.

"Allison Argent," Jackson said with a quick glance at Hollis. He looked towards Scott with a smirk. "Oh my God, you don't get it. All this time you were with her you never once..."

Hollis and Scott exchanged a look, both confused to what Jackson was going on about. She opened her mouth to ask another question but Jackson cut her off.

 _"Her name_ , idiot. Do you know what Argent means in French?" Jackson asked and, when both of them shook their head, he smiled. "It means _Silver_."

"You mean Allison's family?" Hollis asked.

"No," Jackson said, rolling his eyes. "I'm talking about the other Argent's that we know. _Yes_ , Hollis, Allison's family. They hunt werewolves."

Hollis looked towards where Allison sat. Her family looked so _normal_ sitting there, waiting for the game to start. "Guys, just because her last name means silver doesn't mean they're werewolf hunters," she stated.

"It does. They are," Scott said, causing her attention to go to him. "Her dad kind of shot me with an arrow."

"What? Are you serious? When?" Hollis asked. She looked towards the Argent's then found Allison's dad. Nothing about him said 'hunter' but, then again, nothing about Scott said 'werewolf' either.

"That night after the party. You know, after the scrimmage," Scott said. His hand automatically went to his arm where the arrow had pierced the skin. "I'm ok. It-it healed."

Hollis nodded but her mind felt jam-packed with information. Glancing towards the bleachers, she spotted Allison who looked her way and waved her over. She hesitated again. Another positive thing in her life had been twisted and turned into something she hadn't expected. But she couldn't pretend that she hadn't seen Allison and sighed. "I'm gonna go sit with Allison." Scott gave her a look at those words and she tilted her head. "I promised I wouldn't say anything."

She climbed the bleachers that were packed with families with caution. One little slip or nudge and she would surely fall. Carefully, she made her way towards Allison and sat down beside her. The girl scooted over to give her some more room but there was only so much space available.

"I'm glad you came. I actually didn't think you would. The game's about to start and..." Allison trailed off and shrugged but a smile tugged at her lips.

"I kind of wasn't going to," Hollis admitted.

"What? Why?" Allison asked, surprised. "It's Stiles' first game."

"We had a fight. I don't really want to go into right now but it was kind of bad." Hollis couldn't tell her what it was about, even if she wanted to. She had promised to keep Scott's secret but felt like a hypocrite for keeping something this big from her. She just hoped she wouldn't have to keep it for long. "Besides, he's not even here. If I had missed it, he wouldn't even know."

Allison looked towards the field and, Hollis could see her combing through the players for Stiles. "That's weird. Maybe he's running late?" She suggested.

"Maybe. At least that's what Scott said."

"Call him. See where he is," Allison said.

"I can't, Ali. I came here to support him, _not_ talk to him," Hollis explained.

Allison nodded understandingly, although it looked like she wanted to say more on the topic. At that moment, the players gathered on the field around Coach and, Allison turned her attention towards her aunt, Kate. "That one. That's Jackson," she said, pointing to him.

"Holy hotness. If I were back in high school? Or a substitute teacher..." Kate said.

Hollis looked towards the two of them, raising an eyebrow at the conversation.

"Don't pay attention to her. She's sick," Allison said to Hollis. She turned to Kate and, with a shake of her head, said, " _You_. Are sick."

"And _you_ should be all over that," Kate said.

Hollis rolled her eyes at the conversation beside her but something about Kate's voice grabbed her attention. She could have sworn that she heard that voice not too long ago. It took a few seconds for the memory to come to her: the night those two people came to talk to her dad. She distinctly remembered her dad saying the name 'Kate' that night. Never would she have thought that Kate would be Kate Argent. But why she had stopped by that night asking her dad for help, she didn't know.

That was all that Hollis could think about throughout the game. The conversation that had carried on between her dad, Kate and another mysterious visitor. She couldn't make heads or tails of it, as not all of it remained in her memory. But the bits and pieces that were there unsettled her and she didn't know why.

When the whistle sounded and the cheers erupted, Hollis was pushed out of her mind. Everyone from Beacon Hills was standing and cheering and, she realized that they must have won. A smile tugged at her lips despite not knowing who had scored or what had happened.

"We won!" Allison said with a laugh, grabbing onto her arm.

"That's great!" Hollis said, trying put as much cheer in her voice as possible. Smiling, she looked at the field where the team was gathered. Her smile faltered when Stiles wasn't amongst them. With a sigh, she pulled her phone out to see if he had sent anything but there were no new messages from him. "He didn't even show."

Allison looked towards her then, her own smile turning down. "I'm sure he had a good reason," she told her.

"Yeah. Probably," Hollis said with a nod. _Not that he'd tell me_ , she thought. She hated that it was where her mind automatically went. To him lying and keeping things from her. But her trust in him had been broken, shattered to little pieces that would take a while, if at all, to fix.

"Come on," Allison said, taking her hand. "Let's go congratulate Scott and Jackson."

Hollis felt herself being pulled through the crowd and down the bleachers. As they reached the ground and moved towards the players, she stopped. "Actually, I think I'm just going to head home."

"Are you sure?" Allison asked.

"Yeah," she said, forcing a small smile onto her face. "I'm pretty tired."

"Ok," Allison said, nodding.

Hollis smiled and both girls went their separate ways. She walked against the crowd that was rushing to congratulate the winning team. Again, she searched for Stiles but already knew that he wasn't there. Even though she didn't want to talk to him for the off chance that their conversation from earlier that day would continue, she was still disappointed to find that he wasn't around.

Hugging her jacket to herself, she walked about halfway across the field when movement off to the side caught her attention. Hollis turned towards the figure, watching as it crossed the field towards her. She knew who it was long before the person reached her. She hesitated a moment as her happiness at seeing him battled with the anger and pain that still remained from their previous interaction. But she stood her ground as Stiles got closer.

He stopped a few feet from her and blinked in surprise, as if just noticing her. "Hey," he said, breaking the awkward silence that had seemed to swallow them whole just moments before.


	24. Chapter 24

_I know, I know. I'm horrible at updating and, I'm so sorry for making you guys wait over a month for this update. Work took up a lot of my time as I ended up with an 8 day work week and then I had the stomach flu, which kept me from being active for the better part of four days. But...no excuses, I know. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter! Reviews, follows and favorites are always appreciated. :)_

 _Also, follow me on tumblr:_ _yourestillsanelove_ _Once I stop being lazy, I'll probably get some gifs/pics up of Hollis in Teen Wolf._

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Stiles stopped a few feet from her and blinked in surprise, as if just noticing her. "Hey," he said.

"Hey," Hollis said quietly. The silence had been broken but she could still feel the awkwardness that seemed to cover them like a thick blanket. She searched for something else to say, to erase the uncomfortable feeling but nothing came to mind.

"Are you ok?" Stiles asked, beating her to speak. "I mean, I tried to call you a few times. I wanted to, you know, see if you were ok but you didn't answer. Or call back."

The ignored calls and unread messages flashed through her mind and a feeling of guilt filled her. "Yeah, I know," she said, nodding. "I just... I didn't want to talk. I needed some time to think and to try to figure things out." He nodded understandingly but Hollis could see that he was still hurt. Their previous conversation had been anything but pleasant and it weighed heavily on them. "Sorry for ignoring you," she added, as if that would make everything better.

"No, it's ok," he said with a reassuring smile that faded fast. "So, did you? Figure things out?"

"Not even close," Hollis answered, shaking her head. Things were too complicated for her to figure out in such a short amount of time. She barely knew where to start with trying to makes sense of what she had learned. Each time she thought she had it all sorted out, she learned something new and was taken back to square one. It was frustrating, to say the least. Her head pounded from all the information her mind stored and the over-thinking that had taken place in just a few short hours. "I think I'll need more than half a day for that."

"Yeah. It's-it's a lot to figure out," Stiles agreed. He looked past her, at the field that was almost empty save for a few stragglers. "So, you came to the game," he said, surprise coating his words as he turned his attention back to her. "I didn't think you would after...you know. Everything."

"Yeah, well I came to support you. It was your first game," Hollis said with a small smile. "Scott said you'd only be a few minutes late but you missed the whole game."

"I know." He sighed, avoiding eye contact with her. He paused and briefly looked past her. "Scott's still here, right? I need to talk to him about...that."

"He's still here...I think. Allison went to talk to him a few minutes ago," Hollis said, glancing in the direction of the school. "So, where were you?" She tore her eyes away from the building, focusing her attention on Stiles.

"I had to do something and, I thought I'd be back in time but things got complicated," he explained. "Really, _really_ complicated."

Hollis let out the breath she had been holding in hopes of getting a clear answer. "Why is it that the truth is always complicated with you?" She asked, sadness seeping into her words.

He looked towards her, catching her tone quickly. "It's not. It's just...I can't."

"But why? What harm would it do for you to just tell me the truth?" Hollis asked. She took a step closer and looked up at him, trying to understand why he wouldn't tell her. "I already know some things so...," she trailed off, shrugging.

"I just don't want you involved in this," he told her gently.

Sighing, Hollis shook her head. "Ok, fine. Don't tell me," she said and took a step back. "Go find Scott or whatever you were going to do. I'm going home," she said, feeling resigned and exhausted. "Congrats, by the way. Your team won. Not that you'd know." Turning, she started to walk away from him. She half-hoped that he would stop her, give her a little more information other than 'it' and 'something' that would uncomplicate everything but he didn't. Looking over her shoulder, she saw him walk in the opposite direction towards the school. A dull ache filled her as she watched him go but, when he looked over his own shoulder at her, it subsided just a little bit.

It took several minutes before she reached the parking lot. Having arrived late to the game, it hadn't been easy to find a space that was close, let alone empty. She had circled the lot several times before finding one. Cars littered the parking lot when she had arrived but as she neared her car now, the lot was desolate save for a few spots that were still taken. She hugged her jacket closer to her, trying not to let the remoteness bother her.

 _Just a few more steps, and I'll be by the car_ , she thought, trying to ease the bundle of nerves. She reached for her keys and pulled them out, sending soft jingles into the air. She smiled when she closed the distance between herself and her car, chiding herself for being so wound up. The nerves that had eased returned when a reflection caught in the drivers' side window. It appeared for just a second but it was enough for her to see the pair of red eyes directly behind her.

Her heart jumped into her throat at the sight. Quickly, Hollis turned around but there was nothing there for her to find. Everything was silent and still, which only added to the fear that was building up. Narrowing her eyes, she took in the area in front of her and tried to find _something_ out of place. But there was nothing.

"Weird," she said, trying to shake the feeling that she was being watched. She let out a breath then turned back to the car, more than ready to get in and drive home. The sooner she got home, the better.

Another image reflected in the window when she looked at it. The red eyes were gone but, in its' place, stood a man. She closed her eyes, thinking that she imagined it but the figure was still there when she reopened them. Hollis half-turned, half-looked over her shoulder to find him standing there.

"Hello, Hollis," he said with a friendly smile.

"How do you know my name?" Hollis asked, her voice quiet and unsure. Despite the fear she felt, she couldn't help but feel that she knew him. She couldn't place a name to the face, although he looked strangely familiar. "Do I know you?"

"You do. Well, you did. The last time I saw you, you were six years old," he told her. "But I guess ten years is a long time," he said, seeming to get lost in some foreign memory. He snapped out of it a second later, fixing his attention on her. "I'm Peter Hale."

The name was what did it, jarring her memory. Hollis did know him and a few memories came back to her of when she was six. They were blurry and not all there but she knew that Peter used to be her dad's best friend, that he had spent a lot of time with her family. But she still stared at him as if she was seeing a ghost. "But the fire," she said, shaking her head. "I thought you were..."

"Dead? So did a lot of people, actually," Peter said. "But I survived it. I just spent the last ten years slowly healing from the burns, cell by cell before coming back to consciousness. It was...painful but, here I am. Good as new."

"How come you're not burned? I mean, you _were_ in a fire but you don't look it," she said, asking one of the dozens of questions that floated around in her mind.

Peter shrugged, although a smile spread across his face. "It's one of the perks of being a werewolf I suppose."

"You're a... You're one of them?" She asked. Even though she knew about werewolves, it was still like a slap to the face to hear about them, to _know_ someone who was one.

"Yeah." As if to prove his point, he closed his eyes and when he opened them, they glowed red. He returned his eyes to normal and, he smiled at her reaction.

Hollis's pulse quickened and she took an involuntary step back. Her back pressed against the car, limiting her mobility. It wasn't the fact that he was a werewolf that made her heart race but the red eyes. "You're – You killed all those people," she said quietly. "You killed... The accident. My parents...did you...?" She looked at him with fear, unable to finish that question.

"I didn't cause the accident. Or kill your parents," Peter told her seriously. His expression bore no signs of lying, not that she would be able to tell if he was since she didn't know him all that well.

"I saw you there," Hollis said quietly, trying to put the pieces together. Her mind involuntarily took her to that night and she got flashes of the memory she had been trying to keep buried.

"That's because I was," he said. " _After_ your car crashed. Despite what you might think about me, I wouldn't hurt you. And I tend to keep my word. Most of the time. Sometimes. But, this time, I will. You were like family to me, Hollis."

"But you _killed_ your own family. You killed Laura."

" _That_ was a mistake," Peter said. "Unfortunate but it happens."

"A mis-" Hollis looked at him dumbfounded. "And the others? Were they a mistake, too?"

"No," he said. "They had to die. All the ones responsible need to."

"Responsible for what?" Hollis asked. Her mind worked slowly, sifting through the details of information piece by piece. But it was too slow a process, making it near impossible for her to fully comprehend anything.

"The fire," Peter told her. "I need to get revenge for my family. For myself," he said and paused to gather his thoughts. "Of course, killing you would have been the best way to get revenge," he started but, noticing her reaction, he shook his head, "but I said I would never hurt you. And I keep my promises. Now I'll just have to find another way to repay your dad but that shouldn't be too hard. I'll think of something."

His words swam around in her mind and, she tried to make sense of them. "Wait...my dad? What does he have to do with the fire? With anything?"

"You don't know," Peter stated then chuckled to himself. "Of course you don't. You dad never told you," he said, shaking his head. "Why would he?"

"Know _what_?" Hollis asked, the need to know overpowering her fear.

"That your dad's responsible for the fire," he said, his tone turning bitter.

Hollis recoiled at his words. "I don't believe that," she said, shaking her head.

"He might not have lit the match," Peter continued, "but he did tell that hunter about my family. What we are. It wasn't his secret to tell but that didn't stop him. All because we had some stupid fight."

"He wouldn't. You two were best friends..." Hollis trailed off as pieces of the conversation between her dad and Kate started to make sense. This was what her dad had meant when he said he betrayed his friends, what information he had given them. It all started to sink in, the horrible reality of it hitting her. She rested a hand on the car to keep her balanced as the truth wound its way into her head. "It was a mistake. He didn't mean to," she said quietly, trying to convince the both of them of this.

"It doesn't matter, Hollis. He _was_ my best friend and he did betray my family."

"So, what are you going to do?" Hollis could feel the prickling of tears behind her eyes and tried to blink them away but they only made her vision blur. "Kill the only family I have left?"

"Maybe," Peter said. "We'll see."

Hollis shook her head. "You can't," she said, taking a step towards him. "Please. I already lost my mom. And my stepdad. I can't lose my dad, too."

Peter stayed quiet and the silence stretched as he stared at her, studied her. "Fine." But whether 'fine' meant that he wouldn't kill her dad, she didn't know or have time to ask because he continued to talk. "As great it was seeing you after all these years, Hollis, I actually need a favor. I need you to convince Scott to help me."

"Help you with what?" Hollis asked tentatively, exhaustion taking ahold of her. She was still recuperating from learning of her dad's involvement in the Hale fire and it took her mind a moment to catch up.

He gave her a pointed look and sighed for dramatic effect. "Tell him to get rid of his pack. I promised to leave Allison out of it and you, of course. But the redhead, the jock and that annoying kid I met tonight need to go. In return, I'll help him reach his full potential. Sounds like a good deal, right?"

Hollis processed his words, a sinking feeling hitting her stomach. She stared at him in disbelief, as she understood what he meant. "You want me to convince Scott to kill his friends. _My_ friends."

Peter nodded as if it was a simple request.

"You're insane," Hollis said, taking a step back. Her back hit her car once more and she pressed further against it as if it would protect her from him.

"It'll help him," Peter argued.

"Yeah, help turn him into a psychotic killer like you," Hollis snapped, knowing that she shouldn't take such a tone with him. He was capable of so much and, she was just learning what kind of person he truly was. She was scared but, despite her shaking voice, she stood by her decision. "I'm not going to do it. I won't let you kill my friends."

"Then someone else will pay the price," Peter said, all gentleness leaving his voice.

In the distance, the sound of laughter broke through the air. Hollis took her eyes off of Peter and followed the sound. She could just make out the group of teens making their way towards the parking lot. By the sound of it, they didn't have a care in the world and, she couldn't help but be a little envious of that. But she had wanted the truth and now, whether she liked it or not, she was in the middle of this big mess. Sighing, she turned her attention back to Peter to find that he was gone. She looked around the lot in front of her but it was dark and empty. Hollis should've felt better about his leaving but she felt unsettled instead. His last words rang in her mind, sending a shiver down her spine.

[- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -]

Hollis frowned when she pulled up beside her house. The downstairs lights were on, letting her know her dad was up and waiting. She hesitated on leaving the safe confines of the car. Instead, she sat for a few more minutes in silence as she tried to organize the jumbled mess that was her mind. She didn't know how much more information she could take, how many more secrets and truths she could add to the ever-growing pile of what was now her reality. Her head spun and throbbed in a rhythmic beat from it all.

Since Jackson told her what he knew, all Hollis had wanted was a simple 'yes' or 'no' on whether it was true or not. Along with an answer, she got an overwhelming amount of information that made her question everything. In the process, she also learned all the secrets and half-truths that were kept from her by the people closest to her. It was a lot to take in and process and it had exhausted her completely.

Movement out of the corner of her eye tore her from her thoughts. She was thankful for the distraction but she tensed up at the fact that someone or something was nearby. She squinted out the window, carefully watching for any signs of movement. For a while, it was all still until a shadow danced near the side of her house. The porch light didn't reach that far, so whoever was there was encased in darkness.

Curiosity got the best of her and, she stepped out into the cool night air. The light wind nipped at her skin but she was too distracted to notice the chill of the night. Cautiously, she moved to where she had seen the shadow all the while being told by her conscience to leave it alone. She pushed away the warning bells that rung in her mind and continued on. A figure stepped out and a scream built in her throat but it died when Hollis recognized who it was. She swallowed the scream, letting out a sound of surprise.

"Scott!" Hollis said. Her heart beat rapidly as she tried to get it and her breathing under control. "What the hell? You need to stop doing that."

"Doing what?" Scott asked, genuinely confused.

"Sneaking up on people. Unless you want to give me a heart attack, then you need to stop," Hollis told him with a shake of her head.

"I - Sorry," he said sheepishly. "I was taking a shortcut. I didn't mean to…I wasn't trying to scare you."

Hollis waved aside his words, managing to give him a small smile to show that she wasn't mad. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, right. I need to talk to you," he told her.

Hollis sighed internally. "Can it wait until tomorrow?" She asked, hoping that she could save at least one conversation for another day. "I'm kind of all talked out for the day."

Scott nodded then shook his head, changing his mind. "It's kind of important," he stated.

She opened her mouth to say 'no' but the gravity of his voice and expression changed her mind. "Ok, sure. What's up?" Crossing her arms, she looked up at him.

"It's - Just don't tell Stiles, ok? I told him that he should tell you but he wants to keep you out of this. You know, keep you safe," Scott explained. "But I think you should know."

It was no surprise to her that Stiles didn't want to tell her. He was adamant about keeping her in the dark, even though she already knew more than he could possibly think. Although she understood his reasons, appreciated it even, it still made her mad. Despite that, she nodded. "I won't tell," Hollis promised.

"Ok, good," he said, nodding. "So, you know that mountain lion that's been killing people? Not a mountain lion. It's a werewolf. An alpha, actually. And Stiles found out who it is. It's Peter Hale. He -"

"Yeah, I know," Hollis interrupted. "He kind of followed me to my car earlier. He wanted to talk and -"

"What?" Scott asked, fear edging into his voice. "Are - are you ok? I mean, what did he want to talk about? Why?"

"I'm fine. Peter didn't want to hurt me," she explained. "Apparently, he and my dad were best friends before the fire. I actually knew him when I was growing up but I didn't remember it until today."

"So that's how he knew you," Scott said, almost to himself.

"What did he say about me?" Hollis asked.

"He just…. Well, he just said that he would leave you out of everything if I helped him."

Hollis nodded, remembering Peter's words from earlier. "Yeah, he kind of mentioned that." Scott looked at her in surprise and waited for her to continue. "He wants me to convince you to get rid of your pack. To help him."

Wide-eyed, he shook his head. "Hollis…I-I can't do what he wants. I can't kill -"

"I _know_ ," Hollis said seriously. "Scott, I would never ask you to do that. They're my friends, too, remember?"

Scott looked sheepish at her words and nodded. "Right, sorry. It's just that Peter's pretty convincing. He even has Derek on his side now. I just…sorry."

"Well, I'm not going to get bullied into getting my friends killed," Hollis told him. "I already let Peter know that I wouldn't ask you to do that. And that you would never agree to it. He wasn't happy."

"He wasn't happy when I told him 'no' either," Scott said.

"He made a threat that someone else would get hurt. He didn't say who but…it's not good, Scott," Hollis said, shaking her head as worry filled her. "What are we going to do? We can't just let Peter kill more people."

Scott stayed quiet, the burden of this problem weighing heavily on him. This was why she wanted to be let in on things: to help him and Stiles so they wouldn't have to go through it alone. "We'll figure it out. I mean, me and Stiles will. Don't worry."

Tilting her head to the side, she sighed. "Let me help, Scott. I can, I don't know, talk to Peter. Try to convince him not to hurt anyone." Even as she said it, it sounded dumb to her ears. She only met Peter briefly but could tell that he wouldn't be persuaded easily. He was adamant about getting revenge, about getting Scott to join him and nothing would stand in his way. Not even her. "But, seriously. I can help."

"Hollis," Scott said, shaking his head. "Stiles doesn't -"

"Then convince him to let me help," Hollis argued. "He's your best friend. I know he's trying to protect me but Peter knows about me. I don't think keeping me from knowing anything will keep me safe."

Scott stayed quiet, thinking over her words. After what felt like hours of silence, he spoke. "I'll-I'll try. I'm not promising anything, Hollis. But I'll try. You should talk to him, too. He's stubborn but I think he'll listen to you."

[- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -]

The sounds of leaves crunching underfoot, twigs snapping and the occasional chirp of a bird was broken by a low buzzing sound. Hollis felt the phone vibrate in her hand long before she heard it. She brought it up to her face and glanced at the caller ID to see who was trying to contact her. A frown graced her face as a barely audible sigh escaped her lips.

"You going to get that?" Lydia asked, her voice sounding awfully loud in the quiet surroundings.

"Hmm?" Hollis brought her attention towards her friend, who gestured towards the phone she still held out in front of her face. "Oh, no. It's…wrong number," she explained with a nod. She dropped her hand with the phone down to her side and ignored the disbelieving look on her face.

"Well, you've been getting a lot of calls from wrong number today," Lydia stated.

Hollis tried to maintain a poker face and hoped for it to convey that she didn't know what she was talking about. Just as Lydia was about to talk again, her foot caught on a tree root that was buried under a pile of leaves. She fell forward, only to be caught by Lydia, who practically fell with her.

"You ok?" Lydia asked once they regained their balance.

"Yeah," Hollis said with a small laugh. She glanced down on the ground before taking a step forward. "If I knew we were going on a walk through the woods, I would've wore different shoes," she said then made a face at the boots she wore, covered in dirt and the occasional leaf that stuck to the leather.

"Right?" Lydia said with an unhappy sigh. "Allison, when you said you need to stop for an errand before we went shopping, a five mile hike in the woods wasn't what we were expecting."

Allison slowed her walk and looked over her shoulder at the two girls who lagged behind. She gave them a sympathetic smile. "It won't take long."

"Didn't she say that like twenty minutes ago?" Hollis said under her breath, earning her a smile from Lydia and an eye roll from Allison.

"Can you at least tell us what we're doing?" Lydia asked as she unhappily trudged behind her.

"You'll see," Allison answered, shifting a heavy black bag. With another smile, she walked up the path, leaving the two girls struggling to keep up.

"I'm all for hikes and all but this whole secrecy thing? Not really," Hollis said. The past day had been filled with enough secrets and surprises to last her a lifetime. She had hoped for a fun shopping spree with her friends to get her mind off of the ever-growing doom of Peter's threat but instead she got a hike. A secretive hike with a mysterious bag that Allison refused to talk about.

"You know, the human body only has to drop to 95 degrees to be hypothermic," Lydia said.

Hollis glanced at Lydia, who shivered as if to prove her point. "You're not going to get hypothermia," she said with a shake of her head. "Maybe if it was night. The only threat we're facing is mud and blisters. But…we'll live."

"Not helping," Lydia hissed.

"Before I forget, Lydia," Allison said, completely ignoring their complaints. "I wanted to ask if you're okay with something."

"I'll say yes to anything if it includes getting out of here," Lydia said.

Allison paused for a moment before she said, "Jackson asked me to go to the winter formal with him."

Lydia blinked, hiding her surprise and feelings.

Hollis, on the other hand, looked surprised and threw Allison a questionable look that was ignored. The phone buzzing once more tore her attention away from the conversation between her friends. She looked at the caller ID for what felt like the hundredth time that day and, like before, she frowned. The phone buzzed for a few more seconds before it stopped, the call going to voicemail.

"It's not like I'm going to take him to the Coach's office during lacrosse practice and make out with him," Allison said, her voice rising and getting Hollis' attention.

"True. You're not Hollis," Lydia stated in agreement.

Hollis looked up from her phone at her friends. Tilting her head, she narrowed her eyes at them. "Wow, really? Thanks, you guys. You _know_ that's not what actually happened."

"We know," Allison said with a smile.

"We just wanted to see if you were paying attention. You've been glued to that phone all day," Lydia said.

"Or maybe it's the other way around," Allison added with a smile.

"I'm _not_ glued to -" Hollis started but, out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of the phone in her hand. "Ok, fine," she mumbled and placed her phone into her pocket. "Better?"

"Now that you're not being rude? Yes," Lydia answered with a happy smile.

Hollis rolled her eyes yet a smile tugged at her lips.

They continued to walk for a few more minutes, following Allison down an invisible path. When it felt like they were walking for another hour, Allison stopped abruptly and the girls nearly ran into her.

"We should be good here," Allison said, dropping her bag to the ground. It fell with a heavy _thunk_ and Hollis and Lydia exchanged a questionable look while Allison started to unzip it.

"For what?" Hollis questioned. She took a step closer and peered into the bag. Inside, a bow and a quiver full of arrows rested comfortably. "Ali…. You did not make us hike in the woods just so you could shoot an arrow, did you? You know there are plenty of trees _near_ town where you could've done that."

"It's isolated enough. I didn't want to draw attention," Allison explained, pulling the bow and quiver out.

Hollis sighed despite her having a point. "Since when do you do archery anyway?"

"I used to compete when I was younger. My dad thought I could go on to the Olympics but…it wasn't really for me so I quit," Allison explained.

"Why does this feel like it'll turn into some horrible horror movie scene?" Lydia said quietly, letting out a nervous laugh as she looked around.

Hollis threw her a look. "Stop, Lyd. We're fine."

While they talked, Allison twisted off the bullet point of the arrow and replaced it with a conical one.

"What does that do?" Lydia asked with interest.

"We're about to find out," Allison said then took a firing position, facing a target pegged to a tree. After she set the arrow, she pulled back the bowstring and fired. The bolt soar through the air before it collided with the tree, exploding in a bright flash.

"What the hell was that?" Hollis asked, staring in confusion and awe at where the arrow had hit.

Allison lowered the bow and gazed at the scorched target with interest. "I don't know," she said with a shake of her head.

"Where did you get that, anyway?" Hollis asked but Allison walked off towards the tree. When she came back, she had the charred target in hand.

"I found it. At home," Allison told her as she examined the item.

Hollis nodded as thoughts of Allison's family being hunters hung in the back of her mind.

"Well, that was fun. Any other lethal weapons you want to try out?" Lydia asked, shivering.

Allison remained quiet, tilting her head towards a sound that neither girl heard. After a moment, movement through leaves and bushes filled the air.

"What was that?" Hollis asked, looking in the possible direction the noise had come from. It felt as if sound carried from every direction so she couldn't pinpoint its location.

"Quiet," Allison said but the sound disappeared. Despite it being still, all three of them stood silently and listened. "Hold this," she said, handing the bow to Lydia.

"What? Why?" Lydia asked, looking at the bow with confusion.

"I thought I heard something," Allison answered.

"So what if you heard something?" Lydia asked.

"So I want to find out what that something is," Allison said.

"What?" Hollis asked, shaking her head. "Maybe that's not the best idea, Ali. We should probably just leave."

"Don't worry, it's probably nothing," Allison told them.

"What if nothing _is_ something and that something is something dangerous?" Lydia asked.

"It could be something dangerous," Hollis agreed. _Like a werewolf…or Peter_ , she thought.

Allison didn't seem to hear or care. Instead, she nodded towards the bow in Lydia's hand. "Just shoot it." Without another word, she moved away from them, disappearing a few feet away.

"Should we go after her?" Hollis asked.

"Absolutely not," Lydia said, shaking her head. "I don't want to run into whatever that something is."

Hollis nodded. "Ok," she said. Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out her phone and brought the screen to life with a single touch of a button. The unanswered messages were displayed but the only interest Hollis had in was the time. "But we'll give her ten, fifteen minutes. If she doesn't come back, we'll go after her."

"Fine," Lydia said. "In the meantime, you can reply to all those missed texts and calls from Stiles."

Hollis looked towards her, feigning confusion despite being thrown off by her words.

"What?" Lydia asked, giving her a look. "You don't think I actually bought the whole 'wrong number' story, did you? Besides, I saw your caller ID enough to know who it was."

As if on cue, the phone started to buzz in her hand. Glancing down at it, she sighed as Stiles' name was displayed across the screen. Her finger hovered over the 'answer' and 'ignore' button for a few seconds before she hit 'ignore', sending the call to voicemail…again.

"You could've answered that," Lydia said, fiddling with the bow and arrow in her arms. "Call him back."

"I…. Later." Hollis told her.

"You know we were just kidding about you being rude and glued to your phone," Lydia said.

"No, it's not that," Hollis said. "We just…we're still in a fight. I'm not ready to talk to him just yet."

"You can't ignore him forever, you know," Lydia told her gently.

Hollis nodded with a small smile. "I know. I'll talk to him but…later."

A rustling sound ended their conversation and the girls stood still, watching the area around them.

"Did you hear that?" Hollis asked, scanning the forest but not seeing anything other than leaves, trees and brush.

"It's probably that something dangerous that Allison went after. And now that it's done with her, it's coming after us," she whispered, her grip tightening on the bow.

"Stop it, Lyd," Hollis said, although she shivered at the thought. She listened but all that she heard was the gentle breeze, followed by a snap of a twig. "It's probably just a squirrel."

"I hope," Lydia said quietly.

The noise continued. It seemed as if it was coming their way as each snap and rustle sounded louder.

Despite her assurance that it was just a squirrel, Lydia tried to load and nock the arrow. It was harder than it appeared, harder than Allison had made it seem to be and she failed multiple times. "This is _impossible_ ," Lydia said with a sigh. "You try," she said, holding the bow out to her.

Hollis glanced at the bow and tilted her head. "Who do I look like? The Green Arrow?"

"Who?" Lydia asked.

"Never mind. But I don't know how to use that thing." Hollis said, shying away from the crossbow.

Lydia sighed. "Well, what are we supposed to -"

"Shh," Hollis said, putting a finger to her lips. The movement grew louder, closer and she held her breath. Her eyes stayed glued to the spot where she thought the noise came from. A figure rounded the corner but she sighed in relief when it was just Allison. "Finally," she said, the fear starting to leave her. "We thought you were…never mind."

"Next time, leave us a weapon we _know_ how to use." Lydia rolled her eyes, handing the bow and arrow back to her. "What was it, anyway?"

"Nothing," Allison answered.

"Good. Let's go. My fingers are completely numb from the cold and look at you - you're eyes are tearing up all over the place," Lydia said, leading the way back the way they had come from.

[- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -]

The door opened and shut noisily, breaking the silence that Hollis had grown accustomed to in the last hour. She looked up from her place on the couch as Grant walked into the living room, briefcase in hand. A smile worked its way onto his face when he saw her.

"Hey," Grant said, stepping further into the room. "Sorry I'm late. The meeting ran longer than I thought it would."

"It's ok," Hollis said, matching his smile. "I figured something like that happened." She played with the edge of the book she held in her lap, fraying the delicate page between her fingers.

Grant pulled his jacket off, placing it and the briefcase on the couch before lowering himself into the seat. "I thought it would never end," he said with a chuckle, shaking his head. "The only thing that made it better was the food they provided for us." At the mention of food, he looked towards Hollis. "Did you eat? Are you hungry?"

"No, I got dinner with Lydia and Allison. We hung out after school and got a bite to eat before going home," she explained.

Grant nodded at her answer. "Because I don't mind putting something together if -"

"I'm fine," Hollis told him with a soft laugh.

He seemed to accept that with a nod. "What are you working on?" He asked, gesturing towards the book in her lap.

She briefly glanced at it, lifting it a fraction for him to see. "Just reading for class. I need to finish the next three chapters by tomorrow but I'm halfway there."

"Right. Well, I'll let you get back to reading," Grant decided as he stood up. "I should probably get some paper work started, too." He picked his belongings off the couch and turned to her once more. "Did you want tea or anything?"

"Sure," Hollis answered with a nod. "Tea sounds great."

He nodded then left the room, leaving Hollis alone yet again. She let out a soft sigh before she turned her attention towards the reading. Her eyes scanned the page, seeing the words but none of it making much of an impact on her. As the minutes ticked by, she found it harder to concentrate. Hollis had yet to have the conversation with her dad about Peter and the Hale fire. With her dad's presence in the house, her mind redirected itself to what she had learned. If any of it was true, she didn't know but she hoped it wasn't so it wouldn't be another person that kept her in the dark.

Hollis was lost in her mind, staring blankly at the book and didn't notice when her dad placed a steaming cup of tea on the coffee table. His voice broke through her thoughts, causing her to tear her eyes away from the page and to him.

"Sorry. Did you say something?" Hollis asked.

"Just that your tea's ready," Grant told her. "Everything ok, Hollis?"

"Yeah, I just have a lot on my mind," she said, brushing his concern away. She put on her best smile in an effort to convince him of her answer. She reached forward for the drink and took a tentative sip of the sweet, scalding liquid.

"Are you sure? Because if you want to talk -"

"I don't," Hollis said quickly with a shake of her head, cutting him off. Her tone had been brusque and she immediately regretted the way she had sounded. "But, thanks," she added with a soft smile.

"If you change your mind…" Grant trailed off with a nod although his concern for her showed on his face.

The questions and other mixed emotions bubbled under the surface, ready to spill if given a chance. She fought against bringing the topic up as she wasn't ready to hear the answer. What with everything else she had on her mind, it would only add to the pile and there just wasn't enough room. Nevertheless, curiosity and the need to get everything out in the open nagged at her persistently.

"Dad, wait," she said when her dad turned to leave the room. Hearing her words, he stopped and looked back towards her.

"I need to… Can I ask you a question?" she asked.

"Yeah, of course. What is it?" He asked, looking at her expectantly.

Hollis bit her lip. She _wanted_ to talk about this, she needed to, but something held her back. Her mouth opened and closed a few times as her mind tried to find something to say.

"Hollis?" Her dad asked when she didn't speak for a few minutes.

"I just, uhh, did…?" she trailed off, allowing a silence to fill the room. This one felt heavy and uncomfortable, leaden with unspoken words, words that sat at the tip of her tongue. Words that she wasn't sure how to phrase or even if she wanted to. Hollis hadn't thought any of it through and struggled to pull herself out of this conversation. Before it could get any more awkward, Hollis' phone sounded, buzzing on the seat beside her.

"Sorry. Just give me a second," she said.

Happily, she looked towards the phone and her eyes traveled to the caller ID. She wasn't at all surprised to see Stiles' name. She had two options: ignore the call and possibly get into a conversation she didn't want to have or answer it and face Stiles after their fight. Neither option seemed pleasant but she picked the latter as their problems were already out in the open as opposed to the ones with her dad, which were still buried.

"I kind of need to take this," Hollis said, waving the phone in the air for her dad to see.

"Ok. I'll be upstairs," he said, taking the hint. He left the living room and his footsteps receded down the hallway.

With a sigh, she looked down at the screen and hit the 'answer' button before she could change her mind. "Hey," she said quietly, uncertainly.

"Hey," Stiles said from the other line. Despite their fight, hearing his voice still made her smile. "Hey! You answered," he said, his tone full of excitement and surprise. "I-I thought you wouldn't. Answer, I mean. You haven't answered any of my calls. Or texts. So, I'm surprised," he rambled.

Hollis was hit with the guilt of ignoring him for the past day and her smile faded. She didn't have any excuse to go with and 'sorry' just didn't seem to cut it so she did the only thing she could think of: she ignored it. "Yeah, so what's up?" She asked.

"I wanted to talk," Stiles told her. "In person. Not over the phone or, you know, through Scott."

Hollis knew it was what he wanted, which was why she had avoided him all day. The last day had exhausted her of all serious conversation but she knew they needed to talk. She also knew that she couldn't say 'no' after having answered. Although she could put it off for another day or two, it wouldn't do much good. Like Lydia had said, Hollis couldn't avoid him forever. "Uhm, ok. Sure. When?"

"Now?" He asked. "I mean, not _now_ now but in like fifteen minutes now. I'll pick you up?"

"Ok," Hollis said. When they hung up, she still felt uncertain about meeting up but knew that it was too late to change her mind. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad, maybe they would be able to work through everything. At least she hoped it would go well. Standing up, she walked out of the room and towards the stairs. "Dad?" She called, placing a foot on the first step.

"Yeah?" Grant asked, suddenly appearing behind her.

Hollis jumped and turned around, her heart catching in her throat. "What the…. I thought you said you would be upstairs," she said, trying to calm her beating heart.

"Sorry," he said with a chuckle. "I didn't mean to scare you."

"It's ok," she said, letting out a breath. "I'm used to it," she mumbled. "Anyway, I'm going out. Just for a little bit," she told him.

"What about your homework?" Grant asked. "You still have to finish those chapters," he reminded her.

"I - I only have a few pages left to read. It'll be fine," Hollis told him.

Grant stayed quiet for a few seconds then nodded. "Alright. But don't stay out too long."

"I won't," she promised and returned to the living room, where she picked up her jacket and pulled it on.

"Hey," her dad called after her, causing her to turn. "What did you want to ask me? Before, I mean."

"Oh, it was nothing. Forget it," Hollis said.

[- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -]

Twenty minutes later, Hollis pulled the passenger door closed to the Jeep. She settled into the seat, immediately taking notice of the tension that hovered in the air. Letting out an inaudible sigh, she clicked the seat belt into place. Neither of them said much as the car pulled onto the road. Not even music flowed through the speakers, which would have been a welcoming distraction from the quiet. Her fingers itched to turn the dial but she kept her hands in her lap.

Her eyes were glued to the window, watching but not seeing the dark scenery pass in a blur. It all mixed together as her thoughts took over her attention. Although she hated to live in her mind, she was thankful for the diversion as they drove on.

Every now and again, they glanced at one another when the other wasn't paying attention. But as far as conversation went, there wasn't any. Just the stolen looks that went unnoticed.

The minutes ticked by, stretching until they felt much longer than they actually were. The silence only grew more heavy, weighing on them like a thick blanket. And the unspoken words just hung in the air like an omen, reminding them of their fight from the day before, of the secrets that had pushed them apart.

When they pulled into the school parking lot, neither of them spoke but silently willed the other to talk. There was a lot to be said yet neither wanted to make the first move.

Hollis took the silence as a time to gather her thoughts and tried to find something, anything, that she could say to relieve the tension. The more she thought, the more she struggled to come up with something.

"You haven't said anything the entire way here," Hollis said, cursing her conversation skills. She had wanted to say something more concrete, something to get a conversation going but her mind hadn't cooperated.

"Neither did you," Stiles pointed out gently.

"Yeah, I know. I didn't really know what to say," she said honestly. "I still don't but-"

"One of us should say something," he finished, to which she nodded. He rested his head against the seat, letting out a sigh as he gathered his thoughts. "So, uh, Scott told me he talked to you last night," he said, looking her way.

"Yeah, he filled me in on some things," Hollis said. "Mainly the Argents and Peter. But I guess he thought I should know since I'm kind of involved one way or the other."

A worried look crossed his face at her words. "Why didn't you tell me Peter talked to you?"

"I don't know," she answered with a shrug. "I guess I didn't think you'd want to talk about it." She caught the look he threw her way and continued. "Every time I would bring this up, you refused to talk about it. You wouldn't tell me anything, Stiles, so I just…I don't know, thought it would be better to not mention it. I mean, can you honestly blame me for not telling you?"

He sighed and averted her gaze, looking back out the window at the empty lot. "You still should've told me," Stiles said quietly. "I get why you thought that but you should _always_ tell me, Hollis. It doesn't matter if we're in a fight or not."

"Why?" Hollis asked, incredulous. "You don't tell me anything."

"It's because I'm _trying_ to protect you! I never wanted you involved in this. It's dangerous and -"

"But I _am_ involved, Stiles. Like it or not, I am." Closing her eyes, Hollis leaned back in the seat. She stayed quiet for a moment, trying to gather her thoughts. "I get that you're just trying to keep me safe," She said when she opened her eyes and turned to him. "But...I worry about you, too. I don't want you getting hurt. Or worse. I mean, if something happened to you, I don't know what I would do. And you might not care because you're helping your best friend but…." She trailed off, pausing. "I'm the one that's going to worry every time you go out. Wondering if you'll be ok or not."

Instinctively, Stiles reached across the seat for her hand but hesitated. His hand hovered just inches from hers, contemplating his next move before he took a hold of her hand. When she didn't pull away, he laced his fingers through hers and gave her hand a gentle squeeze.

Hollis smiled softly at the gesture. "I'll tell you. Ok? If something else happens or if I run into Peter, I'll let you know," she told him. "But this can't just be a one way thing, Stiles. You need to talk to me, too. Just let me help."

Stiles considered this, looking unsure as he processed her words. He didn't say anything for a while but, when he was about to, his phone went off. The ringing filled the car, breaking the stillness from just a moment ago. He glanced down at the caller I.D. then to Hollis. "It's Scott. Do you mind if…?

"No," Hollis said. "Answer it."

"Hey, buddy," Stiles said, placing the phone to his ear. "What's….Wait, what?" He asked, listening to Scott talk on the other line. "Ok, yeah, yeah. I'll - I'll be there."

"What's wrong?" Hollis asked, taking in the worry on his face.

"It's Scott's mom. She's with Peter," he said. "He thinks Peter's going to use her in order to convince him to join his pack."

Closing her eyes, she let out a sigh. "This is all my fault," she said to herself quietly, shaking her head. When she opened her eyes, she caught the questioning look he threw at her. "Peter threatened to hurt someone else if I didn't help him," she explained. "And I didn't and now Mrs. McCall is in trouble and…"

"This isn't your fault," Stiles told her seriously.

"But what if it is?" She asked as guilt and worry filled her. "I could've-"

"Hollis, stop," he said quickly, cutting her off. "You can't blame yourself for this, ok? Peter would've done this either way."

With a sigh, she nodded. She managed a small smile in hopes of hiding the panic that nestled its way into her heart.

Stiles smiled reassuringly. "So, Scott still needs me to help," he said slowly, watching her for a reaction. "I promised I would. I need to."

Hollis had known it would come to this. Despite her better judgement, she nodded. She had thought that with having all the information, it would make it easier but it was anything but. Now that she knew what they were up against, it only increased the fear. As those thoughts turned over in her mind, she didn't realize her words until they were too late. "Yeah, of course." Hollis wanted Scott's mom to be okay and, even though this was the right thing to do, it didn't ease the worry.

"It'll be ok," Stiles reassured her as if hearing her thoughts.

When they pulled out of the parking lot and onto the main road, it was in silence. She couldn't help but worry for Stiles, Mrs. McCall and anyone else that stood in Peter's path. She had known him just for a moment but had learned just how dangerous and unpredictable he could be. It scared her. Hollis tried to hold the fear in, instead focusing her attention on the window and not on her thoughts.

The scenery passed by in a dark blur, blending everything together until it was beyond recognition. The streetlamps illuminated the dark streets, easing the foreboding feeling that crept into the car. As the houses passed by, Hollis focused on the streets and read off the names in her mind. It kept her occupied for the time being. But as her street grew closer and closer, her nerves got the best of her. She didn't want to think about leaving the confines of the car, of sitting at home worrying about Stiles, Mrs. McCall and Scott.

Hollis counted the names down until it was time to make the turn but, to her surprise, the car drove past the street. Confused, she looked over her shoulder to see their turn getting smaller until it disappeared from sight.

"You just passed my street," Hollis said, turning to look at him.

"Yeah, I know," Stiles answered, nodding. He remained quiet for a moment, clearly struggling for his next words. "You said you wanted to help. So, this is you. Helping." He looked towards her, a worried smile on his face.

"Really?" Hollis asked, unable to keep the shock and joy out of her voice. "Are-are you sure?"

Stiles took hold of her hand again and nodded. "Yeah. Not really," he admitted sheepishly. "But we should do this together."

Hollis smiled softly despite the dangerous situation they were putting themselves in. She knew it wasn't easy for him to bring her into all of this, especially after having fought to keep her safe. Although she had appreciated that, it meant more to her to be included.

Her appreciation for his honesty grew when he filled her in on what happened from the day Scott got bit to the present. Hollis could see him struggle with telling her the truth and pulling her more into the world of the supernatural. Despite that, he didn't leave anything out. He was brutally honest when she asked the multitude of questions that had been nagging at her ever since she found out the truth.

"Wow. That's…." She paused, shaking her head. The conversation had left her tired as more information was added to her already crowded mind. She learned more than she thought possible as each bit of information weighed a lot on its own. Despite the overload of information, she was glad to have the missing puzzle pieces. There were still a few bits and pieces missing but those would soon be filled. Holis was content with what she had for now.

"Yeah, I know. It's-it's a lot."

Hollis nodded in agreement. "Thanks for telling me. I know it wasn't easy for you."

"It wasn't," he admitted. "But, you were right. You needed to know. Sorry for not telling you sooner."

"No, it's fine. I get why you didn't want to," she said with a smile. "And I'm sorry for yesterday. I overreacted. I mean, I did just find out from _Jackson_ that one of my friends was a werewolf and that you knew all along but...still. I could've handled that better. A lot better."

"It's ok," he said, smiling. "But we're ok now, right?" He asked after a few seconds.

Hollis nodded. "We're ok."

They settled into a comfortable silence as they continued to drive. It was like old times and, Hollis was more than happy to be rid of the tension between them. Resting her head against the seat, she watched the scenery pass by once more. The houses thinned out as they left the residential area. Streetlights along with headlights illuminated the dark street as they joined the other cars on the road.

"There's the car," Stiles said suddenly. He brought the Jeep to a crawl in order to keep a safe distance from the vehicle in front of them.

Hollis looked out the window. She couldn't tell for sure if that was Peter and Scott's mom so she had to take his word for it. "Why are they slowing down?" She asked, tilting her head in confusion.

"I don't know," he answered as the car before them pulled over and stopped. "That's weird."

"So, what's the plan?" Hollis asked.

"The plan?" Stiles threw a look her way then nodded. "Right, right, right. The. Plan."

She looked over at him. "Yeah, the plan. What do we do?" But Stiles remained quiet, despite her question hanging in the air. "Please tell me you have a plan."

"I….Well…," he stammered, drumming a nervous beat with his hands on the steering wheel. "Ok! Ok, I got it. Here's the plan," he said, nodding confidently at his idea. He pressed down on the gas and the Jeep accelerated quickly. The sound of metal on metal rang through the air when they crashed into the car before them.

Hollis jerked forward in her seat, thankful for the seat belt that lessened the impact. When she got her bearings under control, she looked towards Stiles with an incredulous look. "Stiles! _That_ was your plan?"

"Well, yeah. I mean, it's the only thing I could think of on short notice!" Stiles explained. "What did you think I would do? Go up to the car, tap on the window and tell Scott's mom that she's on a date with a psychotic, serial killer werewolf that may or may not kill her?"

"I -" Hollis started but stopped. He had a point but she could still argue that his 'plan' had been anything but good…or subtle.

"Besides," Stiles started, wearing a proud smile, "I thought it was a pretty good idea. You know, given the short notice and all."

Hollis rolled her eyes but a smile pulled at her lips. With a shake of her head, she looked at the car in front of them. She half-expected Peter to jump out and kill them both. The scene flashed before her mind for a moment, shaking her and injecting her with a new fear. She shook that thought from her mind before she spoke again. "Ok. So, now what? Do you suggest we go beat him with a baseball bat?"

"No. That wouldn't help anyone," Stiles said, shaking his head. "I got this. Follow my lead," he said with a wink, jumping out of the car.

Hollis sighed, not wanting to know what he had in mind. But the damage was done, both literally and figuratively. With a slight hesitation, she opened the passenger side door and stepped out into the night. The cool air bit at her and a shiver ran through her but it was refreshing all the same. It managed to take away some of the stress she felt as she walked around the Jeep and joined Stiles.

Together, they walked the remaining few steps to the front of the car where they were greeted by an angry and confused Mrs. McCall.

"Mrs. McCall?" Stiles asked, feigning surprise. "Wow. This is crazy. Talk about a coincidence."

Mrs. McCall crossed her arms and shook her head, unable to believe their current situation or that fact that it was a coincidence. At the same moment she was to speak, the driver's side door opened and shut. They turned to see Peter approach the rear of the car, looking at the damage with an amused smile before noticing Hollis. He gave her a look, the smile never leaving his face.

Hollis knew that Peter wouldn't try anything now but fear inched its way into her veins either way. She quickly looked away, viewing the traffic that lined up behind them with interest. A few beeps filled the air as angry and impatient drivers tried to determine what the cause of the hold up was. She felt guilty but, at the same time, was thankful they they weren't alone. As crazy as Stiles' 'plan' was, it was somewhat good in that they weren't somewhere remote.

Witnesses started to gather around them. The whispers took to the air immediately, each person giving their inaccurate account of what happened.

She turned her attention back to where Stiles and Mrs. McCall looked over the damage to the cars. She noticed that Peter wasn't near them but wasn't interested in where he had gone. What bothered her the most was that he wasn't angry at the interruption. But, before she could dwell on that, the conversation grabbed her attention.

"I don't know what happened. You guys came out of nowhere," Stiles said, with a shrug. "Right, Hollis?"

Hollis stood like a deer in headlights, not knowing when she was pulled into the conversation. She looked between the two of them, struggling to say something helpful. "Well, I -"

"Came out of nowhere?" Mrs. McCall asked in disbelief, cutting Hollis off. "We were _parked_ on the side of the road."

Stiles looked perplexed. "How crazy is that?" He looked from Scott's mom to the damage to Hollis and then back at the cars. "We should call the police, do an accident report," he decided with a definite nod.

"I don't think that's necessary," Peter's calm voice said as he appeared by their side.

"Wait, really?" Hollis piped up in surprise. She figured the whole purpose of crashing into them had been to get the police involved, let them hold up the evening so they would have no choice but to end their date. Without that option, she didn't know what else they could do.

Peter nodded as a smile danced across his face. "Yeah. Nothing serious happened. Nothing that can't be fixed so there's no need to get the police involved."

"You sure? I'm feeling a little whiplash," Stiles said.

"You have whiplash?" Mrs. McCall asked, her voice rising. If at all possible, she looked angrier as she stared at him. " _You_ hit _us_."

"Something's definitely wrong with my neck." For emphasis, he placed his hand on his neck and a mock expression of pain crossed his face. "Yeah, something's definitely wrong."

"Something will be when I'm strangling it with my bare hands," Mrs. McCall said, anger coating her words.

Hollis watched the banter between them with mild amusement, fighting the urge to both roll her eyes and laugh at the exchange. She took a few steps to the side, letting Stiles handle this on his own. He seemed to have the situation under control more or less and was more adept at thinking quick. Hollis, on the other hand, would have blabbed the truth within minutes in order to get Mrs. McCall away from Peter.

She turned her attention away from them and focused on the ever-growing crowd. More onlookers arrived, crowding the area around the two cars. Persistent, angry beeps and words filled the air as the drivers grew more impatient with the hold up by the minute. She instantly regretted her choice in moving away from Stiles as the presence of someone caught her attention. The feeling of unease filled her and, Hollis didn't need to turn to see who stood beside her. She knew who it was long before he spoke.

"Clever. Very clever," Peter said, his voice low. "Whose idea was this? Scott's? Stiles'? Or perhaps yours?"

Hollis hesitantly looked towards him but remained quiet, leaving his question unanswered.

He nodded as if he got his answer either way. "Not talking, huh? You must be the loyal one in the group."

Again, she stayed quiet. Not only could she not find her voice at the moment but there was nothing that she wanted to say to him.

"Right. Well," he paused, wearing a smile. "I'm not mad, Hollis, I'm amused. Like I said, this was nicely done. And all to save Melissa."

"Why would you want to hurt her?" Hollis asked, finding her voice. "Do you honestly think that Scott would join your pack if you hurt his mom?"

"I wasn't going to hurt her," Peter told her, a hint of surprise coating his words at her accusation. "Turn her into one of us, yes, but not hurt her. You see, it would be easier for Scott to be convinced if his mom was part of the pack, too."

"You're insane," Hollis said quietly at his explanation yet her eyes betrayed her feeling of courage by a long shot.

" _Relax_ ," Peter said, giving her an almost comforting smile. "I won't do that either. I was but…," he glanced at the accident, "I was interrupted." Shaking his head, he turned back to her. "Look, all I want is for Scott to get rid of his pack. But since he refused to do it himself and you wouldn't help me, I thought I'd help out."

"What are you talking about?" Hollis asked.

"I thought I would start with the jock," Peter continued with a nod. "He knows too much and, let's face it, no one will miss him."

Her breath caught in her throat and, Hollis shook her head as the puzzle pieces started to fit together. "Jackson," she whispered.

"That's right," Peter said. "Derek's taking care of it right now." He noticed her expression before he continued. "Don't worry, Hollis. He'll make it quick and painless. Maybe. No promises, though."

Hollis was at a loss for words once more. She stared at him with hatred and dread in her eyes. She managed to get her legs working and quickly crossed the distance towards the Jeep, where Stiles and Mrs. McCall were still arguing.

"Stiles," Hollis interrupted, placing her hand on his arm to get his attention. "We need to go."

Stiles noticed the panic on her face and frowned. "You ok?"

"Yeah," she said with a nod, putting on her best smile to cover up her nerves. "I mean, since we're not calling the cops or anything, there's not much else we can do here. We should probably just get home."

"Ok, uhh, yeah," he said, turning to Mrs. McCall. "Well, my neck's still a bit stiff but I won't press charges or anything."

" _Press charges_?" Mrs. McCall asked. "Stiles, I swear -"

"He's kidding," Hollis said quickly. "I'm really sorry for all this Mrs. McCall," she said as she pulled Stiles back towards the car.

When they were in the Jeep, the nerves that Hollis had held in tumbled out. Her hands shook as she struggled with the seatbelt and it took her a few tries before it clicked into place. She felt her heartbeat quicken considerably as it became difficult to breathe. The air that entered her lungs was minimal and the more she struggled, the the harder it became. In her panic, she didn't notice Stiles talking to her but his words slowly broke through to her.

"You'll be ok," Stiles said as he held her shaking hands. "Just listen to my voice, ok? It'll pass. Just breathe, Hollis."

Hollis had a hard time answering him so she tried to do as he said. It took a minute (or perhaps longer, she couldn't tell) to get her heart rate to slow. All the while, Stiles continued to talk to her. Eventually, the panic attack subsided and she was able to get a lungful of air in.

"Are you ok?" Stiles asked with worry.

"Yeah, thanks." Hollis nodded with a weak smile. "But this was all a diversion," she said once she could breathe somewhat normally. "Scott's mom was never in trouble. At least I don't think she was. But Jackson's…. He's with Derek and… it's not good."

"Wait, slow down," Stiles said. "How do you know all this?"

"Peter -"

"You _talked_ to him? When?"

"When you were stalling Mrs. McCall. I stepped away for one second and… it doesn't matter, Stiles. We need to stop Derek from killing Jackson," Hollis said.

"Well, we don't really like him so maybe…," Stiles said slowly, earning him an exasperated look from her. "I'm kidding. Just…kidding. I'll call Scott." He dialed Scott's number and Hollis watched anxiously as a conversation unfolded. It lasted only seconds, ending much quicker than she thought it would. "Scott knows. Apparently Peter and Scott had a super werewolf power conversation," he told her gently, taking hold of her hand once more. "He's going to help."

She smiled softly. "So, are we meeting up with Scott?"

"What? No," Stiles said, shaking his head. He continued quickly, knowing that Hollis was likely to argue. "We don't even know where Jackson and Derek are. We'll just waste time driving around and around. Scott said he's taking care of this so we just need to trust him. He's got this. Don't worry."

She wanted to argue but his words made sense. There wasn't much they could do at this point. It was out of their hands and, as much as she wanted to help, she knew they would only get in the way of helping Jackson. Hesitantly, she nodded. "Ok. You're right," Hollis said, letting out a sigh.

"Let's get you home," Stiles said.

The pulled away from the curb and back onto the street, which was free of any further delays. They drove in silence for the better half, each absorbed in their thoughts. But as they got further from the 'accident', Stiles broke the silence. He briefed her some more on what he learned from his dad about the victims and how they were all somehow connected.

"So, arson?" Hollis asked once he was finished.

"Yep. Bus driver used to be an insurance investigator assigned to the Hale fire. The others all had a history of arson in their file."

Hollis thought on this for a moment, letting the information sink in. "It makes sense in a weird, homicidal way but…why? Why go after them? Were they just practice targets until Peter goes after the people responsible for the fire?"

"I don't know," Stiles answered truthfully. "Maybe Peter doesn't know who was behind the fire and just killed anyone that had something to do with _a_ fire."

"No, he knows," Hollis said certainly. She recalled her conversation with Peter the other day, how he informed her of his plan on getting revenge as well as one person he believed to be responsible.

"How can you know that?" Stiles asked but then realization dawned on his face and he nodded. "Peter told you," he stated.

"Yeah," she said softly. "But there's something else he told me that I need to tell you." She was hesitant in telling him what she learned about her dad, not because she didn't trust him but because saying it aloud made it true. She had yet to bring the topic up with her dad, which resulted in her only knowing Peter's side and not his. But Stiles had been extremely open that day and it wouldn't be right for her to keep this to herself.

"You know you can tell me anything," Stiles said, throwing her an encouraging smile.

Hollis returned the smile with a nod. "My dad knew about the Hales for a long time. What they were, everything," she said, pausing a moment to collect her thoughts. "I told you they were best friends, right?" Stiles nodded and she continued. "Well, they had this fight one day and…Peter blames my dad for the fire. He thinks he's responsible for it."

"You can't believe that, Hollis," Stiles said. "It's Peter. He's obviously trying to get to you. Turn you against your dad or something like that."

"But maybe I do believe it," she said. "That whole weird conversation my dad had that night…it makes sense. He was saying how he trusted them last time with information, how that made him betray his friends. The person who came to see him that night was Kate. Allison's aunt. My dad told her about the Hales a long time ago and then the fire happened. That can't just be a coincidence."

Stiles stayed quiet as he thought about what she just said. A long minute or two dragged on in silence save for the sound of tires on the road as they drove.

"I don't trust Peter. But I do believe him," Hollis added.

"Did you talk to your dad about this?" He asked, looking over at her. "I'm not saying that it can't be true but…it's still Peter. I think he would twist up the truth."

"Not yet," Hollis said with a shake of her head. "I wanted to. I know I need to and, I will, but…."

"You're scared of the truth," Stiles finished for her.

She nodded slowly, keeping her eyes on the road. "Maybe the whole thing's not true. But, if it is? I don't know what would be worse; knowing it was an accident, which sounds like it's the most possible explanation, or that my dad knowingly putting a target on the Hale's. That all those people died _because_ of my dad." Hollis sighed, feeling exhausted once more by this new reality they were in.

Stiles instinctively took her hand, lacing his fingers through hers. Hollis took comfort in that small gesture and a smile tugged at her lips.

"It's why he left, you know. The timeline of it all makes sense," she said. "He just made up the part about the new job because it was easier than saying he basically killed his best friends family."

"Look, you won't know unless you ask him," Stiles said.

"I know, but...I don't want to mess up the relationship I have with my dad. We finally just moved past him leaving and...," she trailed off, shaking her head.

"We got through this," he pointed out with a smile, "and you'll get through that conversation with your dad. I'll be there whenever you need to talk."

"Thanks," Hollis said, an appreciative smile on her face. It would be hard but it was something she needed to do, whether she liked it or not.


	25. Chapter 25

_New chapter! I also posted the first gifset for Hollis in Teen Wolf. It's up on my Tumblr (follow me!) **yourestillsanelove** under the 'mygifs' tag. More coming soon (gifs and chapters). Enjoy!_

* * *

The smell of coffee gently pulled Hollis out into the hall and down the stairs. It was almost enough to push the grogginess of sleep away. Almost, but not quite. As great as the scent of the liquid energy was, it was the taste of the bitter caffeine that she really craved. That she needed. A few sips would do the trick.

With that thought in mind, she turned the corner and entered the kitchen. To her surprise, she found the room empty. No dishes littered the counter or crowded the sink. Only the lingering smell of coffee was present, making her craving increase. But she pushed it away as confusion filled her at the absence of her dad. Hollis had expected to find him preparing breakfast or reading the paper while sitting at the table, enjoying a hot cup of coffee. Instead, the room was empty. She stood in silence for a moment, listening for any sounds that would indicate he was home but heard nothing.

"Dad?" She called out, in hopes of getting an answer. But she was only greeted with silence as the seconds passed. Sighing, she rubbed the sleep from her eyes and focused on the room before her. As her eyes did another sweep of the area, she caught sight of a note resting comfortably on the counter. Curious, she walked over and took the letter in her hand. Her dad's writing filled two sentences on the page, letting her knew he had left early for work.

That explained it, she thought in regards to his absence. Rather than feel disappointment that he had left, she felt relief. Hollis had been prepared to dive into the topic on the Hales that morning since she had failed (perhaps intentionally) to bring it up the night before. She couldn't help but feel a tinge of comfort at postponing the conversation. It needed to be brought up, she knew that, but she wasn't sure if she was ready for the truth. Putting it off for another day or two wasn't much but it was enough.

Having woken up much earlier that morning, Hollis had time left over after getting ready for school. It was still too early to leave the house and, she struggled to find something to occupy her for the next thirty minutes or so. She sat down at the kitchen table with her second cup of coffee and relished in the strong taste of caffeine. But sitting there in silence with nothing to do only managed to give her mind free reign. Thoughts of last night and the bundle of information trickled in one by one, forcing her to think.

But before she could let those thoughts further consume her, the doorbell rang. Hollis was thankful for the distraction. Leaving her coffee and thoughts behind, she walked to the door and pulled it open. The initial shock was soon replaced by a happy smile that matched his. She stepped aside to let him enter the room.

"Hey." Hollis closed the door then turned to face Stiles. "What are you doing here? I mean, I'm glad you're here but I thought we were meeting up at school."

"We are. We were but I thought we could go together," Stiles explained. "Unless you don't want to," he added quickly, "Because we could just -"

"No," Hollis interrupted, shaking her head. "It sounds great."

"Really? Ok, great."

Hollis smiled in response. "I'm glad you're here," she told him. "I missed you."

"We just saw each other yesterday," Stiles said, looking confused.

"No, I know but…," she paused, shrugging. "I missed this. Us talking."

Smiling, he pulled her into a hug. "Me, too," he told her.

Despite all the craziness that had occurred in the past couple of days, everything felt ok in that moment. She wished they could stay like that for a while but real life called. Still wrapped in his arms, Hollis looked up at him. "Did you want to leave now or…?" She asked, trailing off as she glanced in the direction of the kitchen.

"You can finish your coffee," Stiles told her with a chuckle.

A smile spread across her face. She leaned up, giving him a quick kiss. But the kiss lingered, lasting several seconds longer. Neither of them seemed to mind and let the moment drag on for a bit.

"Your dad's not going to just walk in, is he?" Stiles asked nervously, pulling away to look around the room.

Hollis laughed, shaking her head. "No, he was gone when I woke up. Had to get to work or something." Taking hold of his hand, she led the way into the kitchen. She picked the lukewarm cup of coffee up and took a sip, still enjoying the taste even though it had cooled down some.

"So, uh, did you talk to your dad?" Stiles asked.

Hollis shook her head, lowering the cup from her lips. "Look, I know, ok?" She sighed and placed the drink on the table. "I was going to bring it up last night but… I chickened out. I thought I would wait until this morning but he was gone by the time I woke up and…I can't say that I'm not happy about that. I'm dreading this conversation, Stiles. I'm scared to find out what his involvement in the fire is. What if he did it on purpose? What if he planned it all along? What if -"

"Hey, calm down." Stiles closed the distance between them and placed his hands on her arms. "It'll be ok. You need to do this. Whatever the truth is, we'll deal with it."

Hollis let out the breath she had been holding and nodded, although she didn't feel any less apprehensive about the conversation.

"Do it by Monday. You still have a couple days to ask him."

"Why? What happens Monday?" Hollis asked.

"Nothing," Stiles answered casually. "I just thought it was a good deadline. You know, trying to be supportive and encouraging."

Despite the topic of conversation, Hollis laughed. It took the weight off of the problem at hand, something that she greatly appreciated. "Any news on Scott and Jackson?" She asked, bringing voice to the other topic that had her worried.

"No," Stiles said, shaking his head. A frown replaced the smile she had been wearing, worry taking hold of her once more. "But no news is good news," he added.

"How?" Hollis asked, unconvinced by his positive outlook.

"If something bad had happened, we would've heard about it. My dad would've told me and I would've told you but since I didn't tell you, it means he didn't tell me anything because there was nothing to tell. So, see? Good news."

Hollis took a moment to process his words. She tried to repeat them in her mind but it only confused her more. "Wait…what?"

He gave her a look as if not understanding what she didn't understand about his previous statement. "Everything's fine, Hollis. Scott's my best friend. I was just as worried about him going against Derek to help Jackson, who doesn't deserve to be saved by the way. But not hearing anything means everything went okay. You'll see."

She was still unconvinced but managed a small smile, hoping he was right. "I guess we'll find out when we get to school."

"Uh, yeah. About that," he said slowly, causing her to look up at him. "We're not really going to school."

"What are you talking about?" Hollis asked. "We can't just skip school, Stiles."

"Why not?" He asked. "Look, it's just one day. And you could use a day off from everything. We both could."

Hollis had to admit that a break sounded great. She had just learned of the supernatural a mere day ago and already needed an escape from it. It was much more complicated than she ever would've thought. As she contemplated this words, Stiles continued to talk in trying to convince her.

"Ok, maybe," she told him then paused as a thought danced across her mind. "You had this planned the whole time, didn't you?"

"I-yeah," he admitted with a sheepish smile. "That was the plan."

Hollis rolled her eyes but she smiled. "Ok," she said, nodding. "I'm in."

[- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -]

"We're here," Stiles said, pulling Hollis from her thoughts. The car slowed down before coming to a complete stop.

Hollis glanced out the windshield dumbstruck. "This is your house," she stated. She didn't know where she thought they would go when they skipped but Stiles' house hadn't crossed her mind.

"Yeah, I know," he answered.

"What about your dad?" She asked when she looked towards him.

"He's at work," Stiles told her.

"What if he comes home?" She asked, voicing her worries. Skipping school wasn't a big offense but she wanted to avoid trouble if at all possible.

"He won't," he said.

"But what if he does?" Hollis asked.

Stiles shrugged. "Then I'll just blame it all on you," he told her.

Hollis threw a glare his way and gently nudged him with her hand. "Wow, thanks," she said sarcastically as a smile tugged at her lips.

"I'm kidding," Stiles said, returning the smile. "Ready to go in?"

She nodded, unbuckling the seatbelt. "Ready," she answered.

Stiles moved to open the door but stopped as if he forgot something. "I need your phone," he said, holding out his hand.

Hollis narrowed her eyes but handed her phone to him, all the while wondering why. In all the time that she had known him, she knew better than to question it. She watched as he held the side button down until her screen turned off, remaining black. He did the same with his phone then leaned across the seat, opening the glove compartment and putting both phones inside.

"Why…?"

"No phones," Stiles answered, flashing her a smile. "We're taking a day off from everything, remember?"

"Yeah, but -"

"No buts. Let's go." Before Hollis could say anything, he jumped out of the car. She shook her head then joined Stiles by the door. Together, they walked inside. It was quiet, save for the sound of the door closing and their footsteps as they walked deeper into the room.

"So, now what?" Hollis asked as she broke through the silence. She looked at him expectantly, waiting for his answer.

Stiles remained quiet for a minute, thinking. After seconds passed by, he shrugged and said, "I don't know."

"You don't…but this was your idea," Hollis pointed out at his lack of a plan.

"I know, I just, you know, didn't think we'd get this far. I didn't think you'd say agree so I didn't plan ahead," Stiles explained.

Hollis nodded understandingly. They stood in silence for a few minutes, each trying to think of what they could do for the next several hours. The more she thought, the less ideas she was able to think up. She was about to give up, say that she didn't know when Stiles yelled in excitement.

"I know!" He said then took off for the stairs, taking the steps two at a time.

Hollis stood in a stupor, unsure of what had just happened. But, like before, she knew not to question it. Crossing her arms, she waited for whatever Stiles went to find. She heard the wood creak with every step he took along with the chaos of drawers opening and closing.

Whatever it was that he went in search off, he returned with it in hand. Rather than tell Hollis what he had been up to, he grabbed hold of her hand and led her through the house and into the living room. "Alright," he said, smiling. "What do you think?" He asked, showing her a few rectangular boxes.

She looked towards them, raising an eyebrow. "Video games?"

"Yep. It'll be fun," he said then went towards the game console and started to hook up the game.

With a sigh, she plopped down on the couch and watched as the TV came to life and the game loaded up.

Stiles joined her seconds later and handed her a controller.

"Just so you know, I suck at video games," Hollis stated, staring at the multitude of buttons the controller had. She tried to figure out what the 'A' 'X' 'Y' and 'B' buttons were for along with the 'plus' sign one. She shook her head in confusion.

Stiles grinned at her expression and quickly explained what each button was for. Even with the full length explanation, Hollis only understood so much and soon forgot which one meant 'go' 'forward' and so on. "Got it?" He asked, looking at her.

"Uh, yeah. Yeah, sure," Hollis muttered, throwing him a small smile.

Without another word, the game began and the animated cars took off down the road. Stiles, along with every computerized player, was way ahead of her as her car somehow felt the need to crash into every obstacle and refused to move forward in a straight line. She frowned, hitting all the buttons at once and willing for her car to move.

"Come one you stupid thing, move!" She said and threw a glare at Stiles as his laughter filled her ears.

"You're doing great," Stiles told her reassuringly.

Hollis' car continued to crash and turn every which way but forward. She looked at the controller Stiles held, trying to gain some insight into what she was doing wrong. Other than seeing him press a few buttons, it wasn't much different than what she was attempting to do. Somehow, she managed to figure it out and cross the finish line. It was dead last but she considered it mild progress as she had been able to get the car across the impossible track.

Level after level, Hollis lost. Despite the amount of times she crashed and crossed the finish line last, she was determined to improve. She muttered to herself every now and then, getting angry at the stupid controls that did nothing but confuse her. Every time she tried to go forward, she went backwards or off to the side, stalling the little car and having to right it.

"You really do suck at video games," Stiles commented, shaking his head.

"Shut up," Hollis said, throwing a playful glare his way.

As time went on, she got the hang of the multitude of buttons and was able to keep the car moving in one direction. Turns were the hardest for her but she still did a pretty good job considering how she had started out.

"Yes!" Hollis yelled with a laugh, placing the controller in her lap. "I did it. Finally."

Stiles looked her way, a bemused look on his face. "Uhh, Hollis?" He said, getting her attention. "You still kind of lost," he pointed out gently, gesturing towards the screen that listed the scores and ranks.

"I came in eighty-second," she told him with a proud smile after she found her name amongst the players.

"Which is still losing," he said.

"Yeah, but it's better than coming in last. Which I didn't do." Hollis stared at the screen, memorizing her first high score. "I'm a positive loser."

"Yes, you are," Stiles said, smiling. "But you're still not going to beat me. Ever. Just letting you know," he added.

The glare returned to her eyes as she stared at him. "Want to bet?"

"Ok, yeah. What should we bet?"

Hollis took a few seconds to think before answering, "Loser buys lunch."

"Ok, fair enough." Stiles held out his hand for her to shake and, when she did, he smiled. "Get your money ready. I'm starving."

"You're a jerk, you know that?" Hollis told him but he only grinned in reply.

A new game started and Hollis focused all her attention on it, making sure not to make any mistakes. As the cars entered the second race, she tried to ignore the comments that Stiles made. His constant talking made her lose focus, costing her points and leaving her behind at times.

"Will you please shut up?" She asked with a laugh, giving him a shove.

"That's cheating!" His car veered off to the left, hitting a barrier.

"All's fair in games and racing," she told him.

Stiles laughed at her words and, before long, they were each absorbed in the race at hand.

Minutes went by before Stiles jumped up and threw the controller down on the couch, the smile of victory on his face. "I win!" But Hollis just glared up at him, which earned her a laugh from him. "What happened to being a positive loser?"

"I traded it in for sore loser," she answered with a sigh, frowning at the screen that listed her about thirty spots below Stiles.

"I tried to warn you," Stiles said. Taking hold of her hand, he pulled her up so that she was standing. "You did good, though," he told her with a smile as he pulled her into a hug. "Who knows? Maybe in the far, far distant future you'll beat me."

Hollis smiled in return. "I will. Just wait and see," she said. "So, I guess lunch is on me. What do you want? Chinese, Mexican or Italian?"

"Italian," they said in unison, causing the other to smile.

"Just no Hawaiian pizza. That's disgusting," Stiles said, shaking his head.

"Ok. Hawaiian it is," Hollis joked as she looked up at him, laughing at the horror stricken expression he wore. "No Hawaiian. Promise," She told him. "But how about pepperoni pizza with a side of fried mac n cheese?"

Stiles considered this then nodded. "Ok. But only if you explain what fried mac n cheese is."

Hollis stared at him in disbelief. "Seriously? It's, well, mac n cheese but…fried?" She said, rolling her eyes at her own explanation. "It doesn't matter. It's delicious."

The doorbell rang thirty minutes later as promised. While Stiles went to answer the door, Hollis ventured off in the direction she had left her bag in. But when she to rejoined him, the food was already delivered and the delivery guy was long gone. She looked questioningly at him then at the money she had in her hand and back at him.

"Winner buys lunch, remember?" He reminded her with a wink.

Hollis smiled at his answer and followed him back into the living room. The smell of pizza wafted into the air and lingered there, creating a trail from one room to the other. Once they sat down on the coach, Hollis reached for the small box with a smile, eager to take the first bit of the fried mac n cheese.

" _This_ is fried mac n cheese," Hollis said, sliding the box towards Stiles once she took one of the triangles for herself. Dipping it into the sauce, she took a tentative bite so as not to burn herself. "Cheesy and delicious"

"It's pretty good," Stiles commented after his tentative bite.

Hollis nodded through a mouthful of food. She took alternating bites of pizza and mac n cheese, unable to get her fill. The hunger subsided after she finished off the slice but she reached for a second helping. The two cups of coffee that she had for breakfast didn't fill her up like the food in front of her did.

While they ate, they dove into a conversation about nothing yet everything. It was the most relaxed and stress-free that she felt in a long time. All thought of life outside this one room vanished from her mind, giving her the much deserved break she needed.

The time moved forward, each seconds hand ticking far more quickly than either of them liked. Before they knew it, the end of the school day neared and they were forced to end their relaxation.

Hollis caught the time and, making a face, she turned to Stiles. "I wish we could stay here forever," she said.

"Me, too," Stiles agreed, pulling her to his side.

"But thanks for today. It was perfect," Hollis said. "I really needed this."

"That's why I did it," he told her. "You know, for you."

Smiling, Hollis leaned over and kissed him. "We should probably go before your dad gets home," she said after a moment as she forced herself to sit up. "Think he'll find out we skipped?" She asked, the thought weighing a bit on her mind.

"Probably," Stiles replied. "But we'll deal with that when it happens."

She nodded in agreement, deciding to put that thought aside. If they got in trouble for skipping, so be it. It was the least of their problems considering everything else they faced. Sighing, she stood up and reached down to help Stiles up. He grabbed hold of her hand and tugged gently, threatening to pull her back down. "Stop, " Hollis said with a laugh. "We need to go."

Grinning, he stood up but kept a hold on her hand.

"We should probably clean this up," she said, nodding towards the mess that littered the coffee table.

"Uh, yeah. I guess we should," Stiles said as he followed her gaze.

They quickly gathered all the dirty plates, napkins and half empty box of pizza. It only took them a few minutes to clean up and leave the living room looking as it did this morning.

Satisfied with their work, they left the house. A chill hung in the air as they walked towards the Jeep, Hollis shivering as the cold seeped through her thin jacket. It was slightly warmer in the car but she still felt colder than she would have liked.

Her eyes fell on the glove compartment, having forgotten that her phone had been in their for the past several hours. Hollis opened the drawer, pulling out her phone first and then passing Stiles his. She hit the power button on the side. The screen lit up a moment later. Immediately, messages and missed calls greeted her. She skimmed the texts, getting the general idea after having read only a few.

She glanced over at Stiles, catching the frown on his face while he stared at his own phone. "Nothing from Scott?" She guessed.

"No," Stiles answered, confirming her suspicions. "What about you?"

Hollis shook her head. "Just from Lydia and Allison."

The frown deepened on his face. "I'll call him," he said, pressing the call button.

Hollis took those few seconds to reply to her friends, briefing them in on why she missed school. Once the messages were sent, she glanced back at him. "Nothing?"

"It went to voice mail. I wonder why he's not answering. He should've called or something by now," he said, more to himself than to her.

"I'm sure he's fine," Hollis said reassuringly despite feeling worried herself.

"I need…. Do you mind if we go check on him? I could drop you off at home if you don't want to come or -"

"No, I'll go," she interrupted. "I'm worried about him, too."

[- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -]

"Scott?" Stiles called.

Hollis closed the door behind them, the sound far louder than she would've thought. The house was quiet, save for Stiles voice carrying throughout the rooms and the creak of the floor underneath their feet.

"It doesn't look like he's here," Hollis said, listening for any sounds of movement that would indicate something was there besides the two of them.

"He has to be," Stiles said. "Scott! Come on, buddy, answer," he said but the only sound that met them was silence. He turned to Hollis with worry. "I don't get it. He should -"

"Hey," Scott said, appearing on the stair landing before them.

"Scott!" You're ok," Stiles said, the worry leaving his voice and face immediately.

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be? What's going on?" He asked, looking from one to the other.

"What's going…? Are you kid…?" Stiles stuttered in disbelief. He took a moment to collect his thoughts before he spoke again. "We haven't heard from you since last night! And you weren't answering your phone. At all."

"I can't find my phone," Scott admitted and looked around him as if it might appear out of thin air. "I looked everywhere and it's not here."

"Want us to help you look?" Hollis offered.

Scott nodded gratefully then started to lead the way upstairs. The two of them followed behind, their footsteps loud on the stairs as they made their way to the second floor.

"So, is Jackson ok? I mean, what happened last night?" Hollis asked, voicing the questions she had been dying to ask.

"Yeah, he's fine," Scott answered, briefly looking back at her. He proceeded to fill them in on last nights' events, telling them what happened from the moment he arrived at the Hale house to when the hunters arrived and started to shoot up the place.

"Wait, so was it all a trap?" Pausing in her search, Hollis straightened up and looked at them both questioningly.

"No. I mean, not really. The Argents planned on capturing Derek," Scott told them and turned around from the place he was searching with a look of defeat. "I guess they didn't think that me and Jackson would be there, too. Luckily we got away, thanks to Derek."

Hollis nodded, letting the information sink in. She missed the simplicity of that morning, of not having to dwell on the reality filled with werewolves and hunters. It had been so much easier. So normal.

Scott continued on in his search again but, after a few silent minutes of throwing objects aside, he sighed. "Call it again."

"It's not here," Stiles said but that didn't stop Scott from continuing to toss aside blankets, pillows, lacrosse equipment and anything else that could act as a hiding place for his phone.

Hollis let her eyes wander around the room, trying to find a section of the room that she hadn't searched yet. But, given that the room wasn't very big, every space had been covered. Twice. "I don't know, Scott. It's…I think it's lost."

"It can't be," Scott said, continuing with his frantic search.

"So you lost your phone. Get a new one," Stiles said.

"I can't afford a new one," Scott said. He shut the drawers loudly and turned around. "And I can't do this alone. We have to find Derek."

"Okay, A, you're not alone. You have me and Hollis. And B, didn't you tell us Derek walked right into gunfire?"

Scott shook his head. "Argent's plan was to use him to get the Alpha. They won't kill him."

"But they'll hurt him," Hollis said. She didn't know much about hunters or what the Argent's were capable of but she knew enough to understand that they weren't above torture to get answers.

"We should let them do what they're planning," Stiles suggested. He caught the look Hollis threw his way and shrugged. "What? They use Derek to get Peter, problem solved."

"Not if Peter's going after Allison to find Derek," Scott said.

"Did he actually say he's going to hurt her? He promised that -" Hollis started.

"You can't trust anything Peter says. He's desperate to get Derek back and, from what he said, it sounded like anyone's fair game. Even you," Scott said to which Stiles looked towards Hollis with worry. "I can't protect both you and Allison myself. Which means I need to find Derek first. Just help me."

Stiles stayed put in the seat and watched the two of them continue to look, although they all knew it was pointless at this point. The phone was long gone. "You know, you probably lost it when you two were fighting. Remember? When he was trying to kill you? When you interrupted him trying to kill Jackson? Starting to see a pattern of violent behavior here? No? Maybe it's just me."

"I don't think he was going to kill anyone," Hollis said. "Why would he help Scott get away if he wanted him dead? He'd probably save himself and leave Scott and Jackson behind."

"Don't worry, I'm not letting him die," Scott told Hollis then threw a look Stiles' way.

"Could you at least think about letting him die? For me?" Stiles asked.

"Seriously, Stiles?" Hollis sighed, shaking her head. "We can't just sit back and do nothing. He helped Scott several times. He helped you, too, remember? That night you guys found out who the Alpha was?"

"Yeah, but then he went to the dark side when he joined Peter. Who's to say he won't leave us behind if we help him?" Stiles argued.

"Because he hasn't done that yet. Look, I know he sided with Peter but he hasn't hurt anyone."

"Yet, Hollis. He hasn't hurt anyone _yet_ ," Stiles pointed out.

"Ok, but that doesn't mean we should just let the Argents's hurt him."

Stiles went to reply but Scott shushed him. He listened intently to something that neither of them could hear before he approached the window.

"What?" Stiles asked.

"My mom's home," Scott said, his voice softening with a hint of sadness.

With a look at Stiles, Hollis joined Scott and looked out at the street below where a beat up car sat just beside the house. Silent seconds went by as Scott listened, cringing every now and then at whatever it was that he heard.

"Is she ok?" Hollis asked with a frown. She stepped forward for a better look but her view was still obstructed. Turning her head, she glanced at Scott, who just shook his head and continued to listen.

"What's she doing now?" Stiles asked, his voice taking on a softer edge.

"Crying," Scott said softly. Sighing, he slumped down on the bed. Emotions of defeat and misery showed on his face as he stayed silent.

"I'm sorry," Hollis said softly, moving away from the window.

"Scott. You can't protect everyone," Stiles said quietly.

"But I have to," Scott said with determination.

Hollis and Stiles exchanged a look, suddenly feeling the burden that Scott felt.

"You're not alone in this, you know," Hollis told him with a smile. "We're here to help."

[- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -]

Hollis watched the blue Jeep pull away, turn the corner and disappear from sight. She turned towards her house, scanning the surrounding area once more before coming to the conclusion that her dad had yet to come home. Key in hand, she climbed the few steps onto the porch and made her way towards the door. Her hand hovered just inches from the door when she felt a presence near her. The feeling sent a shiver down her back, her nerves on edge as she forced herself to turn.

Peter stood off to the side, leaning comfortably on the side of the house. Noticing her, he smiled.

"What are you doing here?" Hollis asked before he had a chance to speak.

"Hi to you, too, Hollis. I'm doing fine, thanks for asking," he said. Sarcasm coated his words and a smirk lit up his face. Noticing her lack of amusement, he sighed and continued. "I just wanted to talk."

Narrowing her eyes, she considered him for a few silent seconds. Nothing was ever simple with Peter as 'just talking'. Her distrust continued to build in the silence. "Whatever it is, I'm not helping you."

Peter looked taken aback and it took him a moment to collect his thoughts. "I… wasn't going to say that," he said slowly. "But, just out of curiosity, why not?"

There were so many answers to that question. But, given that she didn't want to talk to him for long, she went with the more recent reason. "Because I know you're going after Allison to find Derek."

He nodded. "You talked to Scott," he stated and paused for a brief moment. "I won't lie and say that thought hasn't crossed my mind."

"She has nothing to do with this," Hollis said.

"Doesn't she?" Peter looked at her questioningly. "She's an Argent. Her family hunts my kind. They have Derek and, I plan on getting him back."

"Scott wants to save him, too." Hollis saw the doubt in his eyes and continued to talk. "No one has to get hurt," she continued in hopes of getting through to him. "And Allison doesn't need to be brought into this. You promised."

"Promises are meant to be broken," he told her with a wave of his hand.

Hollis couldn't help but hear the underlying threat in his voice. Fear spread through her and despite that, she stood her ground. "So, what? You'll break your promise and hurt me next? Or my dad?"

Peter stayed silent and shook his head. "You don't get it," he said eventually. "Her family has Derek. She's guilty by association."

"Do you really think that hurting Allison will help you get Derek back? That's not…. You'll just get them both killed."

"But you can't say that I didn't try," Peter said, flashing her a smile as if the result of death was nothing but a simple complication.

Hollis looked at him with disbelief and hatred. Swallowing the uneasiness that still swam in her veins, she crossed her arms. "Did it ever occur to you that Derek was taken because of you? The Argent's want him so they can find out who the Alpha is. They want you, Peter, and they're just using him to get you. All of this is your fault."

The faux courage soon turned to cold, icy fear as Peter took an intimidating step forward. His eyes flashed red in anger to her words. Before he could speak, a car door slammed shut and interrupted the conversation. In all the commotion, Hollis hadn't heard the car and, she looked behind Peter to see her dad quickly approaching them.

"Well, if it isn't my fire-loving friend," Peter said, a smirk playing on his face as he looked over his shoulder.

Grant didn't say anything to his words, choosing to ignore them. "Get inside, Hollis," he said, his attention focused fully on Peter as he spoke.

"But -"

"Now. Please." He glanced at her, a tone of finality hanging around his words.

Sighing, Hollis nodded. She cast one look at Peter, pleading with him not to do anything stupid. Whether it got through to him, she didn't know and could only hope. Her words had angered him, she knew that. If her dad got hurt in any way because of what she had said, she would never forgive herself.

It took her a moment to get the key into the lock. When it clicked open, she stepped inside and closed the door. Filled with anxiety, she leaned against the door and tried to calm her beating heart. As her heartbeat slowed, she strained to listen to the conversation outside or lack thereof.

Painfully long seconds passed before the start of a conversation could be heard. The words were muffled by the door, making it near impossible to hear anything. At that moment, she wished she could have Scott's wolf passed by. Hollis couldn't make out much of anything save for a few phrases here and there when their voices raised. Still, she rested her head against the door in hopes of catching at least a partial conversation.

"I don't care. You need to leave and stay away from Hollis," Grant said.

Peter's chuckle rang loud and clear. "What exactly do you think that I'll do, Grant? Set fire to the house with her in it or something crazy like that in order to get revenge?"

A silence followed and stretched for a few moments. None of it phased Peter, though as he continued to talk.

"Because I do want revenge. And I will get it."

"Please," Grant said, his anger dissipating. "You know I never….I tried to stop her. But then the house caught fire and I-I didn't know what to do. There wasn't anything I could do," Grant explained.

"Nothing?" Peter laughed bitterly. "You could have tried to help us. But instead you ran like the coward you are."

Hollis moved away from the door, having heard enough. The voices outside blended into one muffled noise that she couldn't make out, not that she wanted to anymore. Hollis tried to make sense of what she had heard, the bit of conversation replaying in her mind over and over. What little sense she made, she pushed it down and didn't want to think it possible.

The door opening and closing pulled her out of her thoughts. When she looked up, her dad stepped into the room as if nothing had happened.

"Are you ok?" He asked.

"Yeah," Hollis said softly, nodding numbly to his question. "Actually, no," she said with a shake of her head just seconds later. "What was that about? What did he want?"

Grant stared at her, briefly looking at the door and then back at her. "That? Oh, it was nothing. Nothing for you to worry about." He gave her a reassuring smile but it did nothing to reassure her. Her silence made Grant think that she bought his words. "I'll go put my stuff down and we'll see about dinner. I can put something together or we can order in. Think it over," he said and disappeared around the corner. Moments later, he returned and found her in the same exact spot as before. "So, what did you decide?"

"That wasn't nothing," Hollis said quietly.

"What are you talking about?" He asked.

"Your conversation with Peter Hale. It wasn't nothing." Only when the words left her mouth did she notice what she had said. Keeping the truth to herself was no longer an option and, as scared as she was about confronting her dad, it just had to be done.

Speechless, he stood there staring at her. It took him a moment to process her words, gather his thoughts before he spoke again. "What…? How…?" he stuttered, pausing.

"I know, dad," she said.

"What do you know?" He asked cautiously.

"Everything," Hollis told him, watching him for a reaction. She watched as the realization dawned on his face before she continued. "I figured it out but I guess I always knew. All these weird mountain lion attacks didn't add up. So I looked into it and that myth you told me about. Then I bumped into Peter and…," she trailed off with a shrug.

"Wait, you-you talked to him? When? What did…he didn't hurt you, did he?" Grant asked.

"A couple days ago. But he didn't hurt me. He just filled me in on everything and…I know." Hollis stayed quiet as she tried to put her thoughts in order but they were hard to control. So much that she wanted to know and ask kept surfacing to the front, only for her to push it back down. If she was to have this conversation now, she wanted to do it right.

"I never wanted you to know or let this become a part of your life," Grant said with a sigh, running a hand over his face. "I didn't think it would be a problem but then Peter showed up and…."

"I get it," she said, and she did understand. It was for the same reasons that Stiles had tried to keep her in the dark. "But was any of that true, though? The conversation you had with Peter."

Grant sighed again, seeming to age ten years in just ten minutes. Much to her surprise, he nodded. Time seemed to stop for the both of them as Hollis took in the severity of that nod. Her dad was involved in the Hale fire much like she feared.

"Was it an accident?" She asked, her voice coming out small as if scared of forming the words. "Or did you knowingly tell a hunter about the Hales?"

It took him a moment to reply but, when he did, it wasn't quite what she expected. "Both."

Hollis looked at him questioningly, not knowing how it could be both.

"After my fight with Peter, Kate approached me. She didn't introduce herself but told me that she was a hunter. Apparently, she knew all about me and who I was friends with," he started slowly. "For a few months, Kate had been tracking a pack of werewolves and needed information on them. From me. In return, she promised that she would help me help Peter."

"And you believed her?" Hollis asked, incredulous.

"Yes. I didn't know much about hunters at the time, Hollis," Grant said somewhat defensively. "I mean, the Hales talked about them at times. All I heard was how they couldn't be trusted, how they were dangerous to werewolves -"

"Obviously," Hollis interrupted. "They're called hunters, not werewolf whisperers. The word alone should have been a warning sign."

"And werewolves are supposed to be dangerous, too," Grant argued. "Look, she offered to help my best friend. I couldn't turn it down."

"I get it but…never mind," she said with a sigh, shaking her head. "What was wrong with Peter? Why did he need help?"

"Peter was out of control. He was always causing trouble, being mischievous but lately he turned reckless. I was worried he would hurt himself or someone else. You. Your mom. Or both." He paused and glanced at her briefly. "But that wasn't the only problem. He was power hungry, saying how he deserved to be the Alpha instead of his sister, Talia. Peter thought she was weak because she believed in humanity, in peace. I told Kate that I was scared of what he could do with that mindset."

"Did she tell you how she would help?" Hollis asked despite having a feeling of what the answer would be.

"No. Just that it would have to happen during the Wolf Moon. The only information that Kate needed was the location of where the pack would be and I…I told her." He paused, turning to her with a guilty look but she looked away. Sighing, he took a moment to collect his thoughts before continuing. "The day of the Wolf Moon, I went to the Hale's and Kate was already there. Before I knew what was happening, the house was up in flames and she was walking away. I freaked out, telling her that wasn't part of the plan but to her, that was the plan. It was her way of taming the wolves, making sure they never hurt anyone again. She left and, all I could do was stand there in shock. The heat of the fire was unbearable and the…the screams of that family…. It was all I could hear. I finally snapped out of it and called the cops but it was too late."

Hollis stood quietly, trying to process everything she had just learned. It was much more than she had prepared for. She now understood Peter's anger, his hunger for revenge. Everything seemed to click into place.

"You have to know that I never wanted that to happen," Grant continued, taking a step towards her. "It was a mistake, Hollis. I just wanted to help my friend but -"

"You got them killed instead," Hollis said, the harsh truth falling from her lips before she could stop them. "You said that you didn't know much about hunters at the time but…you did. You knew enough to know. I mean, the Hale's told you stories of what they did and you still trusted Kate."

The guilt on his face grew with each word that she said. The truth, despite it being out there, didn't lesson the pain or the regret that he felt.

"It's why you left, isn't it? There was never a job," Hollis stated.

"No. Yes. I mean, that's a big part of why I left. But there-there was a job. After all of this happened," he looked in her eyes but she averted his gaze again. "This place, this town held too many horrible memories. I couldn't stay here. Not after what I've done."

"Running's always easier for you, isn't it?" Hollis asked, judgment filling her voice.

"Hollis…" Grant started. His pained tone matched his expression as he watched her move past him.

"Sorry," she said with a sigh, looking over her shoulder at him. "I just… I need to be alone for a bit." With that, she left the room and Grant behind as her footsteps fell on the steps.

[- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -]

"So, uh, you haven't said anything for like thirty minutes," Stiles stated, swiveling around in his chair to face her.

His voice broke through the multitude of thoughts that ran rampant through her mind. Hollis looked his way from where she sat on the edge of the bed, offering him a weak smile. "I know. Sorry."

"Are you ok?"

For a few seconds, Hollis debated saying 'yes' just to avoid bringing up last night's conversation. But she shook her head before the word 'no' left her lips. "Not really," she added with a sigh.

Stiles crossed the room and sat down beside her. "What's wrong? What happened?" He asked, worry edging itself into his voice.

"I…talked with my dad last night," Hollis admitted, looking down at her hands. She took a moment to organize her thoughts, put them in some sort of order so she could relay the information back to him. With a deep breath, she plunged into what she learned the night before. She didn't leave anything out although she said it all in one breath or so, wanting to get it out in the open as quick as possible. When she finished, she glanced at him to find him sitting there in shock.

"Wow," he said. "I mean, that's…."

"I know," Hollis said with a nod. "My dad's to blame for it all."

"Well, yeah but… he didn't start the fire," Stiles pointed out, giving her a small smile.

"But he might as well have," Hollis argued, sighing. "He lit the match the moment he trusted Kate. If he hadn't, then -"

"The fire still would've happened," he interrupted. "Kate would've found the Hales with or without your dad's help. I doubt she would've given up if your dad said 'no'."

She let the words sink in, knowing that he was right but she didn't feel any better. Knowing that her dad willingly put his friends' lives on the line made her sick. Despite him having good intentions, he trusted the wrong person knowing full well who they were. It wasn't something she could just accept and move on from.

"Look," Stiles said, taking her hand, "I'm not defending your dad but it's not like he did it on purpose, you know? He wanted to help Peter. He thought he was helping."

"Yeah, up until Kate stabbed him in the back," Hollis muttered then noticed the look he threw her way. "People _died_ , Stiles. A lot of people and all because of my dad and Kate. We're not talking about a simple case of arson here. It's…murder." Saying the word aloud brought a sense of realness to the situation, making her feel sick all over again.

"I know," he said gently. "It was an accident, though. It ended in a crappy way but he didn't mean it."

Hollis nodded dumbly although she wasn't sure if she believed it anymore. She wanted to, more than anything but doing so felt as if she was forgiving her dad. Giving him a 'get out of jail free' card. He didn't deserve one. Not yet, or perhaps not ever.

She thought that knowing the truth of what happened with the Hale fire would make her feel better but it didn't. It made her see her dad in a different way and, she didn't like what she saw. "I guess," she said quietly.

"It'll be ok," he reassured her, giving her hand a squeeze.

She looked over at him, a grateful smile finding its way onto her face.

[- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -]

"So, what do you think?" Lydia eyed both girls expectantly, waiting for an answer. To her dismay, the silence stretched and her question remained unanswered. "Are you two even paying attention?" She asked, letting out an exasperated sigh.

"Hmm? Did you say something?" Allison asked and looked up at Lydia, confusion plastered all over her face.

Lydia rolled her eyes, tilting her head to the side in annoyance. She turned towards Hollis, who wasn't aware of the conversation going on around them. "Not you, too, Hollis."

At the sound of her name, Hollis snapped out of her thoughts to see that she was being watched by her friends. "What?"

"What is going with you two today?" Lydia asked with a shake of her head. "You've been quiet since you got here and, I've been talking to myself like an idiot for the past half hour thinking you two were listening. So, what's got you guys so distracted?"

"Just…family stuff," Allison said at the same time that Hollis said, "I got a lot on my mind."

Again, Lydia sighed. "Do you want to talk about it?" She asked, but both girls shook their heads. "Then snap out of it. It's no fun talking to yourself, you know."

"Sorry," Hollis said with a small smile.

"Yeah." Allison nodded in agreement. "What were you trying to talk to us about?"

Lydia smiled at that and plunged into the topic from the start, confident that both of them were listening now.

The topics were quick and ever-changing. Staying focused on any topic at hand was hard as her mind decided to play a cruel game of tug of war. Each time she focused on what her friends said, her thoughts jumped to the Hale fire and back again. It took some time and some work but Hollis managed to push all those problems aside. She quickly joined in the conversation so as not to give her thoughts any leeway to change again.

The conversation changed once more as Lydia excitedly brought up the winter formal, which was only a few days away. Again, she didn't get the reaction she had hoped for.

"Well, don't be too excited, you guys," Lydia said sarcastically, rolling her eyes. "Come on, it's the winter formal! It'll be fun," she said, looking from one to the other. "Look, with all the weird crap that's been going on in this town, we could use some fun."

"I'm excited," Allison said as she smiled weakly.

"Really?" Lydia asked, crossing her arms. "Because you both look as if you're being sent to jail instead of a dance."

"It's just…I-I thought I would be going with Scott," Allison told her. "But -"

"But you're not," Lydia interrupted. "I thought I'd be going with Jackson. Things don't always turn out the way you'd expect them to," she said, an edge to her voice. She turned her attention to Hollis. "And you. You also have a date, which doesn't explain your lack of enthusiasm. I mean, yeah, it is Stiles," she paused, considering an idea before she continued, "Unless that's why you look so gloomy right now. Can't say that I blame you."

"Stop," Hollis said with a shake of her head. A small smile found its way onto her face despite her words. She knew Lydia well enough to know when she wasn't being serious. "I'm excited. Really. It's just that…Stiles hasn't exactly asked me to the dance," she admitted sheepishly before she added, "Yet." Hollis caught the subtle look that passed between her friends. "Seriously, you guys. Don't…look at me like that."

"Like what? We're not looking at you in any weird way," Lydia said, shaking her head. "It's not like you have a boyfriend that won't ask you to the dance."

"He will," Hollis argued. She looked to Allison for help but she only smiled reassuringly. Sighing, she glanced back at Lydia. "Look, you said so yourself that there's a bunch of weird stuff going on lately."

"What does that have to do with him asking you to the dance?" Allison asked.

"I…" Hollis started, unsure of how to answer. She couldn't exactly tell them about the supernatural stuff they were dealing with. "Nothing. I don't know. But we're going to the dance," she told them with a confident smile.

Lydia shrugged. "Ok, whatever you say," she said, dismissing her words with a shrug. She looked over her shoulder, her eyes falling upon the open closet full of brightly colored clothes. A smile tugged at her lips before she turned back to them, clapping her hands. "We need to go dress shopping," she stated happily as she plopped down on the bed between them.

They decided to go Tuesday after school. That decision was followed by a full discussion on colors, styles and anything else associated with dresses and the formal. The conversation turned tedious after just thirty minutes and downright annoying after another twenty minutes but it kept her mind occupied. For that, she was thankful. Not thinking about anything supernatural related was just what the doctor ordered so she happily participated in the discussion even though the topic was dragging.

[- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -]

They stepped onto the escalator, the whir of the machine being drowned out by the noise of shoppers and music that flowed through the mall's speakers. The different smells of perfume lingered in the air, creating a surprisingly nice scent that wasn't horribly overwhelming.

Hollis eyed the different departments that made up Macy's as they rode up to the second floor. She heard Lydia happily chatting away about the perfect dress for what felt like the hundredth time that day. Looking over her shoulder, she noticed that Allison was lost in her thoughts once more and frowned. Hollis wished she would talk to her but she just dismissed her worries each and every time.

"What's wrong, Ali?" Hollis asked once there was a break in Lydia's speech.

"Nothing's wrong. I have a lot on my mind," Allison told her with a small smile, trying to convince her (and possibly herself) that everything was okay.

"You sure?" Hollis asked, not convinced by her words or smile. The escalator reached the top of the floor and she stepped off, moving aside to let her friends join her. "You can talk to us, you know," she said with a look her way.

Allison nodded, appreciation showing on her face. "I know but thanks. I'm ok, though."

"You could smile at least," Lydia told her, seemingly oblivious to Allison's mood. "Ever hear the saying: 'Never frown. Someone could be falling in love with your smile'?" When Allison didn't answer, she sighed. "Smile, Allison. We're dress shopping. It'll be fun."

Allison nodded although she didn't look convinced. Despite whatever was bothering her, she managed a smile that seemed to be Lydia-approved.

Lydia mimicked the smile, although hers was genuine. Her eyes gleamed as she looked in the direction of the dresses. "What are we waiting for? Let's start shopping."

"You never did tell us who your date is," Hollis said, stopping Lydia from taking another step forward.

"Just some guy from school," Lydia answered, throwing her a smile.

"Let me guess: another dumb, roided-up jock?" Hollis asked, ignoring the glare directed at her.

"His name's Tony….I think. No, wait. Or was it Alex? Nick? Something like that," she said with a shrug as if it wasn't important that she couldn't think of her dates' name.

"Hey," Allison said gently, struggling for words. "Are you sure you're okay that I'm going with Jackson?" She asked tentatively. "I mean, I know you're going with someone else but…is it weird?"

Lydia's smile faded as she stiffened at the words. Her reaction only lasted a few seconds before she covered it up with a smile. "Of course I'm okay with it," she said, a bit too cheerfully. "I mean, he's not the first choice I would have picked for you but he is several steps up from Scott McCall. Besides, you're going as just friends so it doesn't really matter."

The air felt tense after that. All three of them could feel it although neither of them brought it up. Hollis let out an inaudible sigh, opening her mouth to speak but, before she could utter a word, Lydia spoke.

"And speaking of people who wouldn't even be my last choice," Lydia said, her faux smile fading fast.

Hollis followed her gaze to the perfume counter where Stiles stood. He observed several of the bottles, turning one over before a mist of fragrance sprayed him in the face. Taking a giant step back, he coughed then sneezed violently.

"And that's who you're going to the dance with," Lydia said with a hint of disapproval in her voice.

"Don't be mean," Hollis said gently.

They turned in unison to see Stiles waving, oblivious to Lydia's comments. His waving was cut sort as he sneezed violently once more.

Lydia rolled her eyes. "Come on, let's go." Grabbing hold of Allison's arm, she pulled her towards the dresses, eager to get away. She briefly glanced over her shoulder and noticed that Hollis wasn't with them. Lydia stopped and cleared her throat. "Hey, the dresses are this way," she said.

Hollis looked over her shoulder and smiled with a nod. "I know but…I'm going to say 'hi' to Stiles." She noticed the impatient look that crossed her face and tilted her head. "Look, I'm not just going to pretend I don't see him."

"Well, we are. Catch up, ok?" Lydia said before walking away with Allison in tow.

Shaking her head, Hollis crossed the distance to where Stiles stood. As soon as she neared him, she could smell the overwhelming scent of perfume that circled him. "Hey," she said, moving her hand in front of her face to ward off the overpowering fragrance. "I think you need to ease up on the perfume," she joked.

"It's not…I…the perfume attacked me," he said with a shrug.

Hollis raised an eyebrow. "The perfume attacked you?" She asked, bemused. "I kinda noticed you spraying yourself in the face with it before."

Stiles frowned, looking sheepish. "Ok, so many not _attacked_ but…it was an accident. I didn't know the stupid bottle would just, you know."

"Well, at least you smell nice," Hollis told him with a smile. "Even if you went a little overboard."

"Anyway." Stiles looked past her, desperate to change the subject. "Where did Lydia and Allison go?"

"They went to look at dresses," she answered. "I'll catch up with them in a bit. I need to find a dress. For the dance," she said, watching him for a reaction. "You know, the winter formal that's coming up later this week?" When he didn't react to her words, she sighed. "So, are we? Going to the dance, I mean."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Stiles said, nodding. "Why? You don't want to go?"

"I do," Hollis said quickly. "It's just that…I don't know, we haven't talked about going. I guess I wasn't sure if you wanted to."

Realization dawned on his face. "Aw, crap," he said with a sigh. "I didn't ask you, did I?" When she shook her head, he sighed once more. "I was going to but then everything happened with Peter and Derek and Scott and…," He trailed off, pausing for a moment. "I didn't remember. Sorry."

"It's fine," Hollis told him gently. "It's been a crazy few days."

Despite her words of understanding, he looked at her sheepishly. "I know but…I should've remembered." He stayed quiet and shifted his weight from one foot to the other. "Think you still want to go to the dance? With me."

Hollis nodded as a smile tugged at her lips. That seemed to be the only answer that he needed because he grinned.

"Great, so I'll uh -"

"Hey, was that Scott?" Hollis asked, turning in the direction the Scott-shaped blur disappeared in. The many tables and racks of clothes that littered the department behind her made finding him that much more difficult. If it was him at all. Quizzically, she looked back towards Stiles.

"What? No. Maybe," Stiles said quickly, only making her more confused. "Ok, yeah. He's here. Somewhere."

"Ok, well that's not cryptic at all," she said. "What's going on?"

Stiles remained quiet for a moment as if trying to find the right words or deciding if he should tell her. Perhaps both. "Scott's…he's keeping an eye on Allison. You know, to make sure she's ok. And I'm here to make sure that you're okay," he said, meeting her gaze.

The words didn't sink in right away. They slowly bobbed on the surface before drowning into her mind, making her understand. "Wait…. Does this have to do with Peter? Do you really think he'd try something here? With all these witnesses?" she asked, motioning towards the several shoppers that walked past them.

"It's Peter," Stiles stated as if that was the only explanation needed. In a way, it was. "I wouldn't put it past him."

Hollis sighed but more out of frustration than worry. It seemed that they couldn't do anything normal without constantly looking over their shoulders. "We should find them. Come on." She turned and started to walk towards the dress department, keeping her eyes peeled for them and Scott.

"Where's Allison?" Hollis asked when she reached Lydia, scanning the area around them once more.

Lydia briefly glanced at Stiles, trying to hide her annoyance but not doing a great job of it. She shrugged and turned back to the dress she was holding, stretching out the moment before answering. "Over there somewhere," she said, lazily pointing in a general direction.

Hollis looked towards the area that Lydia seemed to point in. Apart from other customers, she didn't see her anywhere.

"What do you think?" Lydia's voice sounded, dragging her attention back to herself. Distracted, Hollis watched as Lydia pressed the dress up against herself but barely saw the color or style as her main focus was finding Allison.

"Yeah, it's great," she lied, giving her a quick smile. "Try it on."

Lydia nodded either to the dress or the idea. "Here, be useful," she said to Stiles, shoving a pile of dresses into his arms.

Stiles grabbed them haphazardly and looked to Hollis for help but, apart from an amusing smile, he remained holding the stack of dresses that kept growing.

"This way," Lydia said, dragging Stiles towards the dressing rooms.

"You're going to try all of these on?" Stiles asked, somewhat horrified as he juggled the dresses. "Is this a 24-hour Macy's?"

"I wish," Lydia mumbled as she found another dress that piqued her interest. "You coming, Hollis?"

Hollis looked in their direction to see Stiles mouth 'Help me' but she shook her head. "I think I found a dress here. I'll catch up, ok?"

Before any of them could protest, she disappeared around a dress rack. It wasn't until she neared the aisle that she heard the distinct voices of Peter and Allison. She stopped, hiding herself behind one of the shelves that provided a good view of them. A customer passed by her and shot her a quizzical glance to which she smiled and pretended to be looking at something. When the person walked away, Hollis turned back towards the voices.

"- Can't call skin like yours pale. Not skin that perfect," Peter said and, Hollis couldn't help but feel the creepiness of that comment.

"Oh-kay," Allison said, dragging out the word.

Peter smirked. "Trust me, I have a unique perspective on the subject." Something strange flickered in his eyes as he looked off to the side but it was gone just as quickly as it appeared. "Would you mind?" He asked, taking her hand before she could answer or react.

Delicately, he drew her hand up and Allison remained quiet as if not sure what to make of the interaction. She barely glanced down at the dress he held out for her but instead scanned the area around them as if looking for something or someone.

"You're not here alone, are you?" He inched closer to her, not noticing the step back that Allison took or perhaps not caring. "Friends looking for dresses, too?"

Allison nodded. Instinctively, she took another step back but that didn't stop him from advancing.

"High school dance?" He guessed.

"Formal," Allison replied quietly, correcting him.  
Peter's eyes reflected light again, giving him a more sinister look. He took another step closer, ready to speak before a voice over the PA sounded, cutting the music mid-song as well as their conversation.

"Attention shoppers. To the owner of a blue Mazda, license plate…" The voice announced. Allison blinked, listening to the words coming through the speaker.

"Did she say blue Mazda?" Allison asked.

"…5-U-N-I-7-6-8. Your car is being towed," the voice finished and the music resumed, filling the store with a melody as if nothing had happened.

"What? That's-that's my car." She said with a shake of her head as she turned, racing through the racks and towards the exit.

The confusion stayed with Peter for another moment before he smiled. He whispered a few words, but his voice was too low for Hollis to hear. She strained to listen but between the chatter of the shoppers and the music playing, his words were washed out.

"You can come out now, Hollis," Peter says, jarring her out of her thoughts. Cautiously, she stepped out from behind her hiding place and stopped a few feet from him. A few silent seconds passed before Peter said, "You now, it's rude not to say 'hi'".

Hollis shot him an incredulous look. "Yeah, well, it's also rude to break your promise," she retorted, instantly regretting her words. As she watched him for a reaction, she was surprised to find that he looked amused rather than angry. That lasted for only a few seconds as annoyance crossed his face. "You need to leave Allison alone," she added when he didn't say anything.

Peter tilted his head, looking almost sorry for her. "You know I can't do that. She's my ticket to getting Derek back."

Hollis closed her eyes, trying to think of something, _anything_ , to say to change his mind. But all the thinking did was get her more tongue tied and panicked. "She doesn't know anything about any of this."

Peter raised an eyebrow at her words. "Doesn't she?" He asked as if he knew something she didn't.

Taken aback, she shook her head. "N-no, she doesn't. If she did, she would tell me."

"Right. Just like you told her when you found out, right?" Peter questioned.

Hollis opened her mouth to reply but shut it quickly. She hated to admit that he was right, though. When she had found out, she hadn't exactly gone running to her friends. The same could be said for Allison although she didn't want to believe it. "We're trying to find a way to get Derek back. Scott's trying. Just…you need to give us some time, ok?"

Peter seemed to consider her for a few quiet seconds. "No promises," he finally said, a smirk lighting up his face.

The hope she had felt suddenly deflated at his words. He hadn't said that he wouldn't exactly but a 'maybe' from Peter was just as bad as a 'no', if not worse. She tore her gaze away from him briefly, needing a moment to slow down her panic. As a sigh escaped her lips, Hollis looked back. To her surprise, an empty spot remained where he had stood that matched the hollow feeling she felt inside.

She searched the area, trying to get a glimpse at where he had gone but all that she saw was Scott, watching her with a frown.


	26. Chapter 26

_Here's a new chapter! Sorry it took so long again. Let me know what you think. The next one is in the works and so is an idea for a new TW story, which I'll probably turn into Gifs first. It'll all be posted on my **Tumblr** , so check it out in the next couple weeks: **scottspierce** Follow me on there. Reviews and and follows are appreciated :) Enjoy!_

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"So, we haven't heard from Peter in a while," Hollis commented, throwing a sidelong glance at Stiles.

"Yeah, I know." Stiles nodded but didn't add more to the conversation. Instead, he looked like he wanted to drop the topic entirely.

Drumming her fingers against her leg, Hollis bit her bottom lip. The mystery of why Peter was suddenly missing in action bothered her. Not just bothered but worried. "It's kind of weird, though, right?" she asked, breaking the heavy silence. "Not that I want to see him. Because I don't but…it's nerve-wracking."

"Hollis," he started, shaking his head at her insistence on keeping the topic alive. "We should be happy that he's not around. We finally get a break and I -"

"Look, I just want to know what he's up to, that's all." Sighing, Hollis looked at the road ahead. Her eyes took in the blur of the outside world but her mind was focused solely on Peter. Three days of silence didn't seem like a lot but, when it came to Peter, it was an eternity. A frightening, daunting eternity. Hollis was tired of looking over her shoulder and wondering when or if he would show up. Her mind refused to quiet down; the thoughts pushing their way through. "And we still haven't found Derek," she pointed out. Their unspecified amount of time was dwindling down each day with no idea when it would be up. "I don't even know how much time he gave us to find Derek," she said, recalling her brief conversation with Peter a few days ago. All she had gotten from him was 'no promises' and, that alone, felt equally as unnerving as a deadline. "You know he'll get tired of waiting and when he does…I don't want to think about what he'll do."

"We'll find him before Peter has a chance to do anything," Stiles told her reassuringly but there was a ghost of worry in his voice. "Don't worry," he added for both their sakes.

Hollis nodded, somewhat unconvinced. Her attention drifted towards the school as it came into view, bright against the night sky. Lights adorned the entirety of the entrance and snowflake projections twinkled on the exterior. It was like a magical winter wonderland. The sight alone should've been enough of a reason to smile, but the troublesome thoughts trapped the happiness inside her.

Unable to let this go, she let out an audible sigh as the Jeep pulled into an available spot. "You and Scott have been telling me how dangerous Peter is and now I'm supposed to not worry? He's killed people and…."

"Hollis, we're all worried. Scott is and so am I but worrying about it isn't going to help. You're going to drive yourself crazy thinking about this." He reached for her hand and stopped the nervous drumming she'd being doing for the past twenty minutes. "And mostly me," he added with a grin. Lacing his fingers through hers, he gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "I'm just saying, we're at the dance. Let's just be normal for a night."

Hollis tilted her head, seeming to consider his words. "I guess but -"

"No. We're taking a break from all this." Before she could even reply, Stiles jumped out of the car and ran to her side, opening the door. "Coming?" He asked, holding his hand out to help her.

Taking his hand, she stepped out of the car. The chilly air nipped at her, causing an involuntary shudder as she straightened out her dress.

"You look really beautiful."

Hollis' smile grew at the compliment. "Thanks," she said, then taking a step forward, kissed him.

"What was that for?" Stiles asked when the kiss ended.

Hollis shrugged, a happy smile on her face. "For being you."

He returned the smile. "Ready to go in?" He asked, noticing the second shiver that passed through her. "You know, before you turn into an ice cube."

She narrowed her eyes but laughed. "Yeah, it's freezing out here."

They didn't take more than two steps before a voice called out to them, asking them to wait. Looking over her shoulder, she found four people making their way towards them. Jackson, Allison and Lydia stopped beside them, along with Lydia's mystery date. One look at the fourth person, the smile faded from her face and was replaced by a look of surprise and annoyance.

"You two look great," Allison said as she looked from Hollis to Stiles.

"So do you," Hollis said, finding her voice as the initial shock of seeing Carter wore off. She looked at Lydia questioningly but the redhead didn't notice because she was too busy staring at Jackson.

"Jackson. You look handsome," Lydia said casually.

"Obviously. It's Hugo Boss," Jackson replied arrogantly as he took Allison's arm and led her away from the group.

Allison looked over her shoulder at them, seeming confused at their sudden departure. 'Sorry', she mouthed before she followed Jackson.

Lydia fumed silently while trying to seem like it didn't bother her. She ran a hand through her perfect curls, using the gesture to hide her annoyance. "I don't care. I don't need compliments. I'm not falling prey to society's desire to turn girls into emotionally insecure neurotics who pull up their dresses at the first flattering remark," Lydia said to herself.

"Well, I think you look great," Carter spoke up.

Lydia seemed to forget her earlier statement and smiled widely.

"You do, too, Hollis," Carter added.

With a faint smile, Hollis said, "Thanks." She looked questioningly at Stiles, who seemed just as confused at the new couple.

Carter noticed Stiles then and a trace of a smile appeared on his face. "Hey, uhh…," he trailed off.

"Stiles," Stiles told him, helping him out.

A smirk found it's way onto Carter's face. "Right, the Sheriff's kid. Sorry, I forgot."

"Wait, seriously? You don't…you really…How can you not know my name?"

Carter gave him a strained smile but stayed silent.

"So, you two are going to the dance? Together?" She asked, keeping her tone casual.

"Yeah," Lydia answered. "You don't mind, do you?"

"No," Hollis replied quickly, truthfully.

"Great. So are we going in or what?" Lydia asked.

The four of them crossed the parking lot to the school. The amplifiers shook as they dispensed the pulsating music down the hall, drowning everyone and everything in it's hypnotic sound. They followed the music as it grew louder towards the gym, where melody met laughter and conversation.

Hollis let her gaze wander around the room that hardly resembled their school gym. A smile lifted up the corners of her lips. The normalcy of the night melted into her, making her forget the weights that rested on her shoulders. The thoughts that had been nagging at her seemed to lock themselves back in her mind. She relaxed visibly as she let her eyes sweep across the room once more.

"Can you believe this place?" Lydia asked with awe, giving the room a nod of approval.

"They really went all out," Hollis said, turning towards the dance floor. She hummed along to the song quietly and let her gaze wander, feeling happy and content. Normal. Something she hadn't felt in a while. It almost felt foreign to her but, at the same time, very welcoming. The feeling faded quickly, though as her sight landed on Peter.

He stood in the middle of the dance floor, oblivious to the students around him and vice versa. His eyes caught hers and he waved, a flicker of a smile on his face.

 _He's not there_ , Hollis told herself, trying to calm her sped up heartbeat. As soon as that thought entered her mind, Peter was gone, swallowed up by the students that converged in front of him.

"Earth to Hollis," Lydia said, breaking through her thoughts. "Are you listening at all?"

She turned towards Lydia, placing a smile on her face. "Sorry. What did you say?"

"I said I found Allison. Let's go," Lydia replied then walked forward with Carter trailing after her.

Hollis took a couple uneasy steps but Stiles grabbed her arm, pulling her back. "You ok?" He asked, studying her carefully. "You look like you've seen ghost."

"Yeah, I'm fine," she lied, giving him her best smile.

He watched her for a few more seconds, considering her words before he nodded. "Ok. But you'd tell me, right? If anything was wrong, you'd tell me?"

Guilt twisted itself inside her but she forced the neutral expression to remain on her face. "Of course," Hollis said, internally kicking herself for lying again. She didn't know why she lied, why she didn't just tell Stiles what she saw. But she didn't know if it hadn't been more than her imagination playing a cruel joke on her. More than anything, she wanted the night to be normal and, opening the door to a conversation about the supernatural was a sure way to make sure that didn't happen.

They caught up to their friends to notice that the excitement from before had dissipated quickly. Allison stood uncomfortably next to Jackson with a frown, staring off at the dance floor. A conversation had been started, one that left a scowl on Jackson's face.

"Not the response I was expecting," Allison said, defeat coating her words. "But no. Guess not."

"Everything ok?" Hollis asked, looking from one to the other and trying to figure out what went wrong in such a short amount of time.

"Jackson doesn't want to dance," Lydia replied, barely looking up from admiring her manicure.

Hollis threw Jackson a look and tilted her head. "Seriously? It's a dance."

Jackson looked towards her with a glower. "That doesn't mean I have to dance," he retorted.

"Jackson, don't be an ass," Hollis said, rolling her eyes. "So, what are you going to do? Stand here and look pretty for the remainder of the night?"

Taking another shot from his drink, he winced at the strength of it. He mumbled something under his breath and held his hand out to Allison, apparently changing his mind.

Hollis smiled and watched them join the other students on the dance floor. She reached for one of the cups and brought it to her lips but, before she could take a sip, she was interrupted.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Lydia cautioned.

"Why not? Hollis asked suspiciously, staring at the drink in her hand as if expecting it to answer.

"Jackson spiked the drinks," Carter replied.

"Oh, thanks," Hollis said, quickly placing the drink back down. "Is there anything else to drink?"

"They have a table down there," Carter replied, nodding in the general direction. "Either that or the vending machines out in the hall."

Hollis followed his line of sight and momentarily spotted the table where the refreshments were. "I'll check it out, thanks," she said. "Does anyone want anything?"

Lydia and Carter both shook their heads at her offer, Carter going so far as to sip from the spiked drink. "I'm good," he told her with a smile.

"Ok, I'll -"

"I'll go," Stiles offered.

"You sure? I don't mind going," Hollis told him with a smile.

Stiles shrugged. "Yeah, it's fine. I'll be back," he said and, with that, walked into the crowd.

Hollis sat down in the vacant chair beside Lydia, watching everyone dance. The lack of conversation at the table opened up her mind and, the thoughts started to trickle in one by one again. She didn't realize they were there until the nerves kicked in. All the worries about Peter returned, getting stronger at the memory of him standing amongst them just moments before. Her eyes darted around the room, trying to see if anything out of the ordinary stood out but there was nothing. Nothing but people dancing.

She needed a distraction, something to keep her paranoid mind occupied. She turned to Lydia, ready to talk but she stood up suddenly.

"I'll be right back," Lydia announced.

"Lyd, wait," Hollis said but it was too late.

Lydia walked off, leaving Hollis alone with Carter. The unsettling feeling vanished, replaced by one of pure awkwardness. It had been a couple weeks since she had spoken with Carter and, since their breakup, there wasn't much for them to talk about.

"Did you want to dance?" Carter leaned back in his chair and looked over at her with a confident smile.

Hollis threw him a look, the answer clearly written on her face.

Carter raised both hands defensively before laughing. "Relax, Hollis. I was kidding."

Despite it being a joke, Hollis barely cracked a smile. "Right, sorry."

The smile remained on his face, though, unbothered by her reaction or lack thereof. "So, does it bother you? That I'm here with Lydia?"

The question threw her off but she shook her head, knowing her answer long before it took her to speak. "No. And I'm not jealous, if that's what you're thinking."

"I didn't say that you were," Carter told her with a grin. "You just looked surprised when you saw us together."

"Yeah, well Lydia didn't tell me you two were going together so…," she trailed off with a shrug. That brought on another topic to add to her pile of questions. Why Lydia had kept her date with Carter a secret was something that bothered her, but not for the reasons one might think.

A few minutes passed in silence despite the dozens of conversations that went on around them mixing with the music.

"When did that happen?" Carter asked, nodding towards the dance floor.

Hollis followed his gaze, unsure of what he meant at first. But when she briefly spotted Jackson and Allison, her question had been answered. "Oh, that. They're just friends."

Carter raised an eyebrow, wearing a doubtful expression that Hollis knew how to interpret.

"Seriously. There's nothing between them. Allison and Scott still like each other and I'm pretty sure Lydia still likes Ja-" She stopped, catching herself but it was too late. She threw Carter an apologetic smile as she tried to think of a way out of that unfinished sentence.

"It's fine," Carter said, his self-assured smile fading a bit. He waved a hand in the air, dismissing her worries. "I guess I kind of knew when I asked her."

"I'm sorry, Carter," Hollis said and meant it.

"Don't worry about it," he told her, his smile returning. He stayed quiet for a moment, lost in his thoughts. "So, you and uh…," he trailed off once more. Catching the annoyed look she threw him, he laughed. "Stiles. I remember his name."

Hollis rolled her eyes at his attempt at a joke. "Why are you such a jerk about this?"

"I'm not," Carter answered.

Tilting her head, she stared at him, waiting for a real answer.

He crossed his arms and shrugged. It was moments before he spoke again. "I don't know. Guess I'm a little jealous."

She raised her eyebrows, letting his answer sink in. Then, shaking her head, she said, "Carter, I-"

"I know," Carter told her.

Hollis still felt uneasy. Her eyes darted around the room, taking in all the teens who occupied the space. She searched for something, anything to distract her from the conversation they were having. She wished that Stiles would return and wondered where he was.

"So," he started, jostling her out of her thoughts. "How's everything with you two?"

Hollis turned to him. "Things are good. He's really great," she told him with a smile. It felt weird to talk about Stiles with Carter especially after his last words to her. She threw a look his way, surprised to find that the smile remained on his face. "What?" She asked, narrowing her eyes as if that would help her figure out the reason for his smile.

"Nothing," Carter said with a shrug then, "Sorry I wasn't there for you like I should've been."

"You were, though. It's just at the end -"

"I screwed up," he finished with a nod. "I know. Sorry."

"We drifted apart. No one's to blame," she said, although that wasn't entirely true. It was Carter who had pushed her away by belittling her problems but she didn't say it. That was a known fact and it went without having to bring it up.

"Well, I'm glad you're happy," Carter said, surprising her once more.

Hollis smiled her thanks, remembering that side of Carter that sat beside her. The one who had been easy to talk to, who surprised and understood her. She missed the friendship that they had back before the break up.

Their conversation came to a close when Stiles returned, drinks in hand. The smile on his face faltered at the sight of them talking. Setting the drinks down on the table, he stayed quiet for a moment. "Did I interrupt something?"

"No," Hollis told him, taking hold of one of the drinks. She brought the cup to her lips and took a sip of the cold and sweet liquid. "We were just talking."

Stiles nodded but Hollis could see the uncertainty in his expression. She frowned at his reaction, hoping he didn't think anything of her conversation with Carter.

Carter seemed to be aware of the tension because he pushed his chair back with a muffled scraping sound. "I'm gonna go find Lydia." He drained the rest of his drink and walked towards the dance floor, disappearing into the crowd that swallowed up anyone who ventured in its' path.

Hollis studied Stiles, trying to gain insight into his change in mood. "Hey, everything ok?"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." He nodded and managed to give her a small smile. But the smile didn't reach his eyes, which said more than his words.

"Ok," she said, unconvinced. "You sure? Because you can tell me."

"I'm sure," he said. "So, did you want to dance? I mean, we don't have to if you don't want to but, you know, if you do, we can."

"Yeah, I do," Hollis answered with a smile.

They made their way out onto the dance floor, which had become even more crowded if that was at all possible. The music quickly changed direction from the thumping, energetic beat to a slow and steady one.

As everyone stopped their rapid dancing to slow it down, Hollis and Stiles did as well. They slow danced to the music, getting lost in the peaceful moment. Despite the calmness, Hollis was filled with unease as they danced in a circle. The troublesome thoughts returned to her, making her remember Peter's determination in finding Derek as well as his sudden disappearing act.

The faces of the students around them blurred, seeming almost sinister under the colorful lights. Hollis searched around her, unable to calm the panic that Peter was somewhere nearby. Although she wasn't entirely positive she had seen him before, she wasn't going to just push it aside either.

Her search was interrupted as Stiles spoke, jarring her out of her thoughts.

"Are you ok with that?" Stiles asked, staring off in one direction. "I mean, it doesn't bother you, does it?"

Hollis tore her eyes away, breaking her search which had brought in no results. She looked in the direction he was facing to see Lydia dancing with Carter. "What? Yeah, it's…fine," she said distractedly.

Stiles stopped dancing, her answer having the opposite affect on him.

Hollis stopped alongside him. She took in the skepticism on his face, fully snapping out of her thoughts. "Stiles, no," she said, shaking her head. "It doesn't bother me. I promise."

It took a full second for Stiles to process her words before he nodded.

"Why? Are you worried or something?" Hollis asked, remembering the troubled look from before.

Stiles shook his head. "No. I mean, not…really."

"Where's all this coming from?" She stayed silent, waiting for an answer before it hit her. "Is it because I was talking with Carter earlier? You don't think that there was something between us, do you?"

Stiles just shrugged, averting her gaze.

"Hey," Hollis said, forcing him to look at her. "There's nothing between me and Carter. We were just talking."

"I know," Stiles said with a nod. "But it's just you're really distracted tonight. Especially after he showed up with Lydia. And, I don't know, you two looked…comfortable. Like before."

Hollis tilted her head, frowning. "Exactly. _Before_." She could tell that it did little to ease his worries, though. "Look, Carter's not why I'm distracted. And he's not who I love anymore. You are."

Wide-eyed, Stiles looked at her, seeming to register her words. "Wait…you…really?"

She nodded as the smile on her face grew. "Yeah. Really."

"I kind of wanted to say that first," Stiles said with a grin. "Because, you know, I-" But before he could finish, Coaches voice interrupted everything.

"McCall, what the hell do you think you're doing?" His voice carried across the gym.

Everyone around them paused as the Coach charged forward. Even the music seemed to quiet down as he headed straight for the couple dancing. Danny and Scott looked up in surprise, caught dancing with each other.

"You're not supposed to…," the Coach said before realization hit him. Clearing his throat, he tried another tactic. "You shouldn't be…um…" He trailed off, looking from one student to the next. The glares that met him were hostile and he shrunk away from everyone.

Hollis stifled a laugh as she watched the exchange.

"Yes, Coach?" Scott asked, innocence coating his words as he pulled a bewildered Danny closer.

"Okay, hold on," Coach said. He looked around the still and frighteningly quiet room. "I was… I mean, I wasn't… I'm not… You guys don't think I'm…" he stuttered as he tried and failed to turn the whole situation around. With one final look at the crowd, he said, "What the hell are you looking at Greenberg?" and wandered off, though the embarrassment didn't leave his face.

"That was…," Hollis trailed off.

"Painfully awkward," Stiles finished.

Hollis nodded in agreement.

The music slowly returned, jumping from the previous slow song to an energetic one. Everyone seemed to forget about what had just happened and resumed dancing.

"Hey," Hollis said, a thought coming to her. "I thought Scott wasn't allowed to come to the dance. Because of his grades or something."

"He's not. But…," he paused, looking to where Scott now stood with Allison. "He came to, you know, keep Allison safe."

"Safe?" Hollis asked before realization hit her. She nodded, a soft 'oh' leaving her mouth. "Right. Peter." The worry she had previously felt returned and, she went back to searching the dancing crowd.

"Yeah. Scott asked Jackson to keep an eye on her, which is why they're at the dance together but…. Hey, where is Jackson?" He asked as he started a search of his own.

Hollis now searched for two people, both of which she couldn't locate. Her frown deepened when she realized that one other person was missing: Lydia. For a reason she couldn't explain, her pulse quickened as her search turned desperate. "Where's Lydia? Do you see her?"

Stiles did a quick sweep of the room before shaking his head. "No. Maybe she stepped out or something." He noticed the panicky expression on her face. "I'm sure she's ok," he told her gently.

Hollis nodded, despite still feeling unsettled. She wasn't a hundred percent sure that Lydia wasn't around but it was hard to tell what with all the students dancing around them. "I'd just feel better if she was here where I could see her. Especially with Peter around and -"

"What do you mean 'around'? Stiles asked.

"I…I saw him before," Hollis confessed, looking up at him. "At least I think I did. Only for like a minute but then he disappeared. I've been trying to see if I could find him but I haven't seen him since that first time." She did another quick search of the area but came up empty. "Maybe I just imagined it," she said, hopeful yet doubtful.

"Maybe," Stiles answered although he didn't sound convinced either.

Hollis let the music filled silence stretch as the news of Peter settled in around them. "I need to find Lydia. Just to be safe."

"I'll go with you." Taking hold of her hand, he navigated their way out of the crowd. They passed student after student but Lydia wasn't amongst them.

A sigh escaped her lips as she took in the crowd from the edge of the room. Although Hollis couldn't tell one person from the next, she had a feeling that Lydia wasn't there. Worry knotted itself around inside her, making it hard to keep a clear head.

"Hey, there's Carter," Hollis said, pointing him out to Stiles. "He might know where she went since they were together a few minutes ago." She watched Stiles closely, hoping that it wouldn't erase their previous conversation about him. "Are you ok if I talk to him?"

Stiles stayed quiet for a moment then nodded."Yeah. Come on," he said, pulling Hollis to where Carter stood.

They approached just as Carter turned their way, his smile fading at their expressions. "Hey," he said. "What's up with you two? Is the world ending or something?"

"No, it's just…" Hollis said, shaking her head. "Do you know where Lydia is? I can't find her."

Carter looked around the room as if hoping the answer was in the crowd. "She said she needed a break. She left a couple minutes ago."

"She left?" Hollis asked, surprise filling her voice and expression.

"Did she say where she was going?" Stiles asked.

Carter shrugged nonchalantly. "Something about finding Jackson," he told them. He remained quiet for a moment, trying to look like the answer didn't bother him. When they thought that he wouldn't say anymore, he spoke. "The last time I saw Jackson, he was headed outside. I'm guessing that's where Lydia went, too."

The worry intensified at the thought of Lydia being out on the school grounds by herself. Even if she was with Jackson, it didn't make her feel any better. "Thanks," Hollis said with a small smile then looked over at Stiles.

The two of them moved back across the room in the direction of the exit. The music faded to a loud hum in the background when they pushed through the double doors and entered the deserted hallway.

Hollis stopped short. With a mixed look of worry and surprise, she stared at Jackson as he walked towards them. Alone. She scrunched up her face in thought, her eyes scanning the area behind him for any sign of Lydia. "Where's…" she started, her voice just above a whisper.

"Where the hell have you been?" Stiles asked, moving in to question Jackson. He grabbed him by the arm to gain his full attention.

"Did Lydia find you? Carter said she was looking for you," Hollis said, finding her voice and hearing the panic weave through her words.

Jackson shook his head, a dazed look on his face.

Hollis and Stiles exchanged a worried look.

"What's wrong?" Stiles asked.

Jackson stayed quiet for another moment then looked at them as if just seeing them for the first time. "I was out behind the school. I was…," he trailed off with a shake of his head.

"What happened, Jackson?" Hollis asked, intervening in the questioning.

"I was out back -" Jackson started.

"We know that. What is it?" Stiles interrupted.

Jackson snapped out of his daze. His vision was clearer when he looked from one to the other. "I was," he paused to collect his thoughts then continued, "I wanted to find Derek or whoever the creep with the red eyes is. I thought I saw him but it turned out it was just the lasers from a gun. It was Allison's dad. He started asking me all these questions and I…I told him. About Scott."

Hollis closed her eyes. "How could you do that?"

A look of guilt and regret washed over him before becoming defensive. He turned on her, a scowl set on his face. "It's not like he wasn't going to find out sooner or later!"

"You're an idiot! You know what hunters do to…what he'll do when he finds Scott!" Stiles yelled, panic washing over him.

Jackson had the decency to look guilty once more.

Hollis took a deep breath and let it out slowly. The back and forth banter between Stiles and Jackson sounded far away even though she stood next to them. A few words trickled into her subconscious before she snapped her attention to the situation before her. The option of getting a word in was hard if not impossible. Shaking her head, she moved away from them.

"Where are you going?" Stiles' voice reached her, stopping her from going further.

She looked over her shoulder to find them both staring at her. "To find Lydia." Knowing what Stiles was about to say, she put up a hand to stop him. "I'll be fine. Just…stay with Jackson. Keep an eye on Scott in case Allison's dad comes or whatever."

Hollis didn't wait for an answer. Instead, she quickened her pace and moved down the hallway, taking the familiar turns before she reached the exit. The cold air hit her exposed skin and, she shivered. "Lydia?" She called out, her voice echoing throughout the night. She waited a few seconds but no one answered. Ignoring the cold, she walked across the parking lot with determination and panic.

The lighting turned darker the further she moved from the school. Squinting, Hollis tried to get her eyes to adjust to the darkness. A few dark shapes that could only be cars were in her line of sight. The lacrosse field loomed ahead with a dark silhouette of trees being the backdrop. Again, she called her friends name but no answer returned to her.

Hollis stumbled as her heels hit the grass, sinking into the soft ground with each step. Luckily, her eyes had adjusted enough to the dark for her to see where she was going. She looked forward, scanning the field. A pink dress glinted under the moonlight followed by red hair, which could only belong to one person. "Lydia," she whispered, relief flooding over her at having found her friend.

Another figure emerged. This one with an air of foreboding. She could only guess who it was and it turned her blood cold, destroying the relief from before. "Lydia!" She yelled, turning her walk into a run.

But it was like running in a nightmare. Slow and impossible. Her heels dug into the earth harder and faster the more Hollis tried to run. "Run!" She yelled, her breath coming out in gasps as she strained with each step. "Lydia, run!" Her voice managed to reach Lydia but it was too late.

Peter opened his mouth. Monstrous fangs protruded out between his lips as he lowered himself towards Lydia. The scene unfolded itself quickly, speeding up as if on fast forward.

"No!" Hollis yelled, her voice mixing with Lydia's scream. For a moment, she stood frozen, unable to do anything but stare. In slow motion, she watched Lydia drop to the grass. The moonlight caught on them like a spotlight, showing off the bright blood that covered the once-pink dress.

Her heartbeat quickened at the horror before her, tears blinding her vision. _No, no, no, this can't be happening_ , Hollis thought. She raced towards Lydia, dropping onto the ground beside her.

"Lydia," she said, her voice cracking at the sight of her friend. "Hey, hey hey. Open your eyes, Lyd. Please, just…just say something," she pleaded but Lydia remained motionless.

She stared in horror, her stomach turning at the sight of the blood, which continued to flow from the wound like a river. A puddle formed on the ground, seeping into the earth. "You - You'll be okay. Just…hang on. Stay with me, Lyd." Instinctively, she pressed her hands on top of the wound to stop the bleeding. Warm and sticky blood coated her hands, pouring out between her fingers the harder she pressed.

"You promised," Hollis said, her voice quivering. She looked up into the blood covered face of Peter, who looked down at her with mild curiosity. "You said you wouldn't hurt her."

"Actually, I promised not to hurt Allison."

Hollis didn't hear him, though. Her panicked heartbeat quickened, becoming a roar in her ears. "You said you'd…that you'd give us time. You promised and…. How could you? She's my _best friend_." The tears slipped freely from her eyes now, clouding her vision.

"I gave you enough time," Peter said. "Besides, I got bored waiting," he added indifferently with a shrug. "So, tell me. Where's Derek?"

"I-I don't know," Hollis said shakily. She looked down at Lydia, at the blood that covered both their dresses. Numb and scared, she sat on the grass with her hands still covering the bloody cut.

"Hollis!" A voice reached her, sounding far away in her numb mind. It sounded again and, she twisted her head to see a figure running towards her.

Stiles reached them and stopped short, his face going slack.

"I'm okay," Hollis reassured him with a weak smile. "Lydia's…," she trailed off, lowering her eyes to her friend.

Peter stepped forward and his arm reached towards both girls with a clawed hand. The gesture was almost animalistic, as if he was claiming his kill.

Stiles stared in shock, taking in the blood that covered Lydia and Hollis to the blood dripping off Peter's face.

"Stiles," Peter said with an eerie smirk. "Nice for you to join us."

"Don't kill them. Please," Stiles said.

"Of course," Peter said, relaxed as ever. "Just tell me how to find Derek."

"What?" Stiles asked in confusion.

"Tell me how to find Derek Hale," he repeated quietly.

"I-I don't know that. How would I know?" Stiles asked, shaking his head.

"Because you're the smart one, aren't you? And because I can smell it on you. Deception has a particularly acrid scent, Stiles. So how about you tell me the truth before I rip her apart," Peter said as his hand inched closer to the girls.

"I don't know. I swear to God, I don't," Stiles said with panic, shaking his head as it to prove his point further.

Peter's eyes flashed angrily at the answer. Violently, he grabbed the back of Hollis' neck, his fingers digging into the soft flesh. He smirked. "What? Did you think that she was safe?" Peter asked, satisfied at seeing the frightened expression on Stiles' face.

Hollis fought against the hold but Peter was too strong. Still, she lifted her blood stained hands to her neck and tried to pry his fingers off. His grip on her only tightened and a small cry of pain left her lips.

"I'm waiting." Peter lifted her up closer to his teeth.

"He's telling the truth," Hollis said, her voice small and strained from both the pain and the effort of trying to get free. "We don't know."

Peter yanked her head back and a flash of pain coursed through her.

Frightened tears welled up in Stiles' eyes. "Please, please stop," he begged, unable to take his eyes off of Hollis.

"Tell me!" Peter roared, his voice echoing throughout the field.

Hollis felt a pinch as her skin was punctured by Peter's claws. A sticky trail of blood flowed down her neck.

"Okay, okay," Stiles said, panicked. "I think - I think he knew," he stuttered.

"Knew what?" Peter asked.

"Derek. He knew he was going to be caught."

"By the Argents?" Peter questioned.

Stiles nodded numbly.

"And?" Peter asked with impatience.

"When they got shot, him and Scott…I think he took Scott's phone."

"Why?" Peter asked.

"They all have GPS now. If Derek still has it, if it's still on…," he paused, finally meeting Peter's eyes. "You can find him."

"Ok. That wasn't so hard, now was it?" Peter asked with a satisfied smirk.

"I-I told you. So just…just let her go. Please," Stiles said.

Peter let go of his hold on Hollis and pushed her forward, as if discarding something unwanted.

Hollis sunk back onto the soft, wet ground. She touched the back of her neck, which was already starting to bruise. She winced from the pain, moving her head gingerly to get the stiffness out.

Stiles rushed to her side. He brushed her hair out of the way and lifted her chin up to look at the finger-shaped bruises and the one-inch cuts that still trickled blood. "You're okay," he told her gently, assessing her injuries. "You'll be okay, I promise."

Hollis nodded numbly to his words.

"I'm sorry," Stiles continued. "I should have told him before he - I should've figured it out sooner and told him but -"

"It's not your fault," Hollis told him with a shake of her head, snapping out of her daze. The movement brought the pain to the surface once more. "You -"

"I hate to interrupt," Peter said, "but we need to go, Stiles."

They looked up at Peter with confusion.

"Go where?" Stiles asked.

Peter let out an exasperated sigh. "Go get Derek. I need you to track him."

"What about Hollis?" Stiles asked. "And-and Lydia."

"They'll be fine," Peter said dismissively.

"No. We can't just leave them here," Stiles said.

Peter sighed once more. "You're coming with me, Stiles. You don't have a choice."

"I'm not going," Stiles told Hollis and then, turning to Peter, he said, "Then kill me. I don't care."

Hollis shook her head, once again ignoring the waves of pain. "What? No!" She said, looking from one to the other. "That's not an option, Stiles."

"Well, I'm not just going to leave you two here. I can't," he argued as if there was another way out.

Peter considered them, head tilted as if determining his next move. With a satisfied nod, he spoke. "Call your friend. Tell Jackson where they are. That's all you get."

Stiles looked to Hollis for direction and she nodded slowly. "Fine," he said quietly as he pulled his phone from his coat with a trembling hand. He dialed the number and listened to the never-ending ringing on the other line. Just when it appeared that Jackson wouldn't answer, the familiar click sounded and his voice came from the other end. Relieved, Stiles told Jackson to meet him on the field without giving out much detail on what had happened. "He's coming," he said, his attention directed at Peter.

"So when Jackson gets here, we'll go," Hollis said with a definite nod.

"Yeah, ok," Stiles agreed but then, realizing her words, he shook his head. "No, Hollis. You can't. You need to go with Lydia. And Jackson."

"I'm not letting you go by yourself," Hollis argued.

"He'll be fine," Peter interjected, rolling his eyes. "I promise," he added with a smile that made her believe him even less.

Hollis stared at him with narrowed eyes. "Why should I believe you?" she asked. "You've done nothing but lie and kill since you got here."

"Don't be dramatic, Hollis," Peter said, shaking his head. "I didn't lie about everything."

"Are you serious right now?" Hollis asked with disbelief.

"Hollis -" Stiles started but she didn't hear him.

"You're nothing but a monster and a liar, Peter." The anger bubbled inside of her, ready to overflow at any given moment. As terrified as she was of him, her anger overpowered it. "For all I know, you actually caused that accident last summer -"

"I didn't," he interrupted gravely, all amusement gone at the accusation.

"And I'm supposed to just believe you again? After everything?" Hollis looked from Lydia to Peter. "Why?"

Peter's eyes flashed red. His jaw clenched as he stared her down.

"How do I know you -"

"Because I pulled you out of that car!" Peter yelled. "I saved your life!"

His outburst kept Hollis quiet. She studied him, trying to decide if it had just been another lie. Although everything told her to distrust him, she couldn't help but think that there was some truth to it.

"If I wanted you dead, you would've been dead a long time ago, Hollis," Peter added, his voice eerily low. He tilted his head then as if hearing something far away. A small smile spread across his face. "Jackson's almost here. Now, let's go. I'm losing my patience."

Stiles stood up and looked towards the school before looking down at her. "I'll be ok," Stiles assured her with a smile.

Hollis opened her mouth to protest but he continued.

"Trust me, ok? Once I figure out where Derek is, I'll meet you at the hospital," he said.

Hollis didn't like the idea but didn't argue. Carelessly, she wiped the sticky blood on her already ruined dress but it hardly came off. Her hands were stained, a grim reminder of that night. She stood up shakily, almost falling back onto the ground but Stiles took hold of her arm, keeping her steady. She smiled her thanks but it wavered, exposing the worry that she felt. "Just…be careful, ok?" She told him, feeling the prickling of tears behind her eyes. She blinked them back but a few escaped, smearing the dirt and traces of blood on her face.

Stiles pulled her towards him and wrapped his arms around her. "I love you," he whispered, holding her for a little bit longer before letting go. "Don't worry. I'll be ok."

Hollis nodded numbly and watched him leave. When he disappeared across the field with Peter she closed her eyes and let the tears fall freely. She felt helpless, scared and alone. Lost in her misery, she didn't hear Jackson until he spoke.

"Hollis," Jackson said slowly. He looked from Lydia to Hollis and back again, a look of bewilderment on his face as if he wasn't sure what he was seeing. "Are you ok?"

Hollis turned to him, surprise written on her face. Then she remembered that he was meeting her here. "Yeah," she said with a nod, wiping the tears away with the back of her hand. "I'm fine. Lydia…she needs help." She glanced down at her friend, who still hadn't stirred but she was happy to see that the wound had stopped bleeding.

"What the hell happened?" Jackson asked with worry.

"Peter happened," Hollis told him, unable to shake the image of him attacking Lydia. "You know, the creep with the red eyes you were looking for. Lydia went to find you but found Peter instead and he-he did this."

Jackson scowled at her, his worry dissipating quickly. "This isn't my fault, Hollis," he snapped. "I didn't make her go looking for me. And I sure as hell didn't make what's-his-name attack her."

Hollis narrowed her eyes, annoyed at his anger towards her but the annoyance drained quickly. Sighing, she nodded. "I know. Sorry. It's just-"

"And where's Stiles? He told me to come here and now he's just disappeared?" Jackson looked around the field but, other than the three of them, it was deserted.

"Stiles went with Peter to find Derek," Hollis explained. "Not that he wanted to go but Peter threatened to kill us if he didn't so…he went with him. He had no choice. He just said he'd meet me at the hospital." The emotional rollercoaster that she was on was exhausting. Angry one second, worried and upset the next. It took a toll on her, draining her mentally and physically. "Look, it doesn't matter. We need to get Lydia help. She's lost a lot of blood and…," Hollis looked down at her blood-stained hands, a frown tugging down the corners of her lips.

Jackson followed her gaze, his scowl fading. "You sure you're ok?"

Hollis nodded, mustering up the courage to give him a smile. "Think you can carry her to the school?"

Without an answer, Jackson scooped Lydia up into his arms. She hung limp, unmoving but still alive. They walked across the field in silence, the air heavy with worry.

When the school came into view, they quickened their steps into a run, racing between the cars. Screams erupted in the parking lot as people noticed them, noticed Lydia.

"Somebody help me! Help me!" Jackson yelled.

They stopped in front of the school and a crowd gathered around them to watch the horror show. A teacher stepped forward to tend to the situation. He looked from Lydia to Jackson and to Hollis.

"What happened to her?" He asked, his voice authoritative but carrying a wisp of worry.

"It was -" Jackson started.

"An animal attack," Hollis intervened, throwing a look at Jackson, urging him to keep quiet. "I think. I don't know. I just found her like that and then called Jackson for help."

The teacher considered her words for a minute. Hollis held her breath, worried he wouldn't believe her or question her more. But then he nodded and pulled his phone from his pocket. He dialed 911 then spoke into the phone with urgency. Once the call was placed, he looked towards the three of them once more. "The ambulance is on their way. Lay her down on the ground gently."

Jackson lowered her onto the sidewalk while someone placed a jacket underneath her head.

Multiple conversations started all around them, no doubt gossiping about what had happened. But Hollis wasn't paying them any attention. All the words turned into a low buzz in the background as panic overwhelmed her, swallowing her whole. Her heart beat a mile a minute and her throat tightened. The signs of a panic attack presented themselves to her.

Hollis fought against it but it was easier said than done. Her lungs refused to work properly and the dozens of worrisome thoughts floating through her mind didn't help. She closed her eyes and tried to focus on her breathing patterns. But without a guiding hand to help her, it proved to be difficult. Just breathe, she told herself as she gulped down bits of the cool night air. The mantra repeated itself in her mind. After the fourth run of it, it seemed to be helping. It was easier for the air to enter her lungs and, after another minute, the air she took in was in larger quantities. Her lungs expanded, letting her know they were ok.

"You doing ok?" Jackson asked, his voice jarring her out of her thoughts.

She took in a shaky breath, thankful that her lungs hadn't constricted again. "Not really." She looked towards Lydia, lying helplessly on the ground.

"She'll be ok," Jackson told her almost gently.

Hollis nodded, grateful for the reassurance even if it was from Jackson. "Hey, can I borrow your phone for a sec?"

"Why?" Jackson asked but placed the phone in her outstretched hand. "Who are you calling?"

"Allison," she said, pressing the phone to her ear. "She needs to know what happened." Catching the look on his face, she sighed and shook her head. "Not _everything_ but just that Lydia's hurt. Maybe she and Scott can meet us at the hospital."

Jackson nodded.

"Have you seen them at all?" Hollis asked, listening to the ringing. When he shook his head, she frowned. "I wonder where they are."

"No idea," he said, shrugging.

Hollis wanted to point out that he had come to the dance with Allison, that he should know where she was but kept her mouth shut. They had enough problems without her starting another argument.

The phone rang several more times before going to voicemail. Hollis tried once more but, with the same result, had no choice but to leave a message. She left it brief, quickly filling her in on Lydia's accident. Once it was recorded, she handed the phone back to Jackson.

A cool wind picked up as the wait for the ambulance turned into torture. The chatter died down as the initial shock wore off but students still gathered to see what would happen next. Hollis stared off into the distance. The familiar wail of a siren reached their ears, piercing the still night. Before long, the flashing red and blue lights shown in the distance then grew as the ambulance got closer.

The tires screeched to a halt. As the engine idled, medics exited the car and went towards Lydia.

"Your teacher said that you found her like that?" A voice said from beside her.

Hollis looked towards the medic. Registering his words, she nodded. "Yeah, she was…I-I tried to keep the wound closed but…," she trailed off, unconsciously looking down at her hands. The blood had now dried, staining her skin a rusted red. Hollis wiped them on her dress but it didn't come off.

The medic nodded, his eyes following her gaze. "Are you ok? You're not hurt?" He questioned, studying her. His eyes flew to her neck but she looked down and away from him, hiding the bruises and cuts.

"I'm fine," Hollis told him, though her neck ached and stung with each movement. "Is Lydia going to be ok?" She looked to see Lydia being loaded onto a stretcher.

"She's still alive so that's good. She lost a lot of blood but…," the medic trailed off, his attention turning towards the ambulance. "I'm confident she'll pull through." With a nod towards another medic, he gave her a quick smile. "Excuse me," he said before he joined his co-workers.

Like everyone else, Hollis watched the scene before her. Lydia was on the stretcher, oxygen mask on and slowly being transported into the ambulance. Her eyes took in the crowd, which had thinned out and grew at the same time. She saw curiosity in some faces, fear in others. Whispers went through the students like a wave but none of them reached her. For that, she was thankful. Hollis didn't want to hear them.

Amongst the curious faces, Carter stood watching her. For a moment, she felt sad for him. But that sadness dissipated and was replaced by anger, unjust or not. Hollis was mad that he let Lydia out of his sight, mad at herself for not noticing she was missing sooner and, most of all, mad at Peter for causing the most damage.

Angry tears blurred her vision at the unfair situation as the ambulance pulled away from the curb, its' lights flashing continuously. The crowd dispersed, leaving only a few curious onlookers behind.

"Did you want a ride to the hospital?" Jackson asked from beside her.

Hollis blinked the tears away. "Um, actually can I meet you there? I need to…I have to-"

"What?" Jackson asked.

"I need to find Stiles," she told him.

"He's gone," Jackson said.

Hollis looked towards him with disbelief. "You don't know that. He could still -"

"Yes, I do! Look, his junk of a car isn't here," Jackson said, sweeping an arm out towards the parking lot.

Hollis unwillingly followed his gaze and searched the cars for the blue Jeep but it was nowhere to be found. Exhaustion and panic didn't let her believe it, though. "It doesn't matter. I need to try."

Jackson's expression hardened at her ignorance. "Hollis -"

"No!" She took a step back from him, not wanting to hear what he had to say. "I have to find him. I can't just let him go with Peter by himself. You saw what he did to Lydia, Jackson. What if he does the same thing to Stiles? What if he can't find Derek so Peter kills him or…," she paused while the horrible thoughts and 'what-ifs' assaulted her already tired mind. "What if Peter kills him any way?"

Uncharacteristically, Jackson pulled her into an awkward hug. She struggled against him but he was stronger and she relented, giving up.

"Stiles will be ok," Jackson said.

"How do you know?" Hollis asked, her voice breaking.

"Because he's…." Jackson struggled with the words. "He's smart. He'll find Derek and then he'll meet you at the hospital like he said."

Hollis wanted to believe him, needed to but her fears held her back. But she had to believe because if she didn't she would fall apart.

"And if you tell anyone I said that, I'll deny it," Jackson said but Hollis could hear the whisper of a smile in the statement.

"Secret's safe with me." She looked up at him, finding their moment of closeness weird. In all the time they had known one another, they had never bonded or acted like they were friends. But in that moment, Hollis witnessed a side to him that not many people saw. Although their current situation was horrible, she was happy to see that he had a human side to himself. She pulled out of the hug and crossed her arms. "I think I might have gotten some dirt and blood on Hugo Boss. Sorry."

Jackson shrugged, knowing that it wasn't what was important in that moment. "Yeah, well, it's already ruined," he said, gesturing to the dried dark spots that coated the shirt and jacket. A moment passed between them before he nodded towards the parking lot. "So, do you want to go see Lydia now?"

Hollis nodded slowly. "Yeah, let's go."


	27. Chapter 27

_New chapter for you guys! I'm so proud at myself for getting it done so fast. I'm still working out the kinks of the new chapter and my new idea. But I'm hoping to have them out at the same time. Fingers crossed for me to actually accomplish that. Remember, the new idea will be in gifsets that I'll be posting on **Tumblr** (scottspierce). I'd love to have more followers on there as well as here. Reviews are always welcome! Let me know what you think/hope to see in the next season._

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Two uniformed deputies escorted Hollis and Jackson through the halls of the hospital. Both covered in dirt and blood, they were like a scene out of a horror movie. Save for a few odd looks thrown their way, no one seemed to pay them any attention. The hospital staff was probably more than used to seeing blood and the families who waited for loved ones were too preoccupied with their own problems to notice the two teenagers.

As the sign for the Intensive Care Unit came into view, their footsteps pounded on the tiled floor. Their panic echoed in every step they took as they raced across the hall with the deputies at their heels.

"Where's Lydia? Where is she?" Jackson yelled, rounding the corner with Hollis a few steps behind.

Sheriff Stilinski looked up from where he stood with two plainclothes officers. The conversation he had been in the midst of ended abruptly. His kind demeanor vanished at the sight of Jackson. Without a second thought, he grabbed Jackson by the coat and slammed him against the wall.

Hollis stopped in surprise at the Sheriff's uncharacteristic behavior.

"What the hell happened to that girl?" The Sheriff asked.

"I-I don't know," Jackson stammered, shaking his head. "We went out looking for her…," he trailed off, throwing a look in her direction.

"We? Who's _we_?" The Sheriff asked.

"Me. And Jackson," Hollis spoke up, taking a step forward.

The Sheriff looked towards her with surprise at finding her there. He turned back to Jackson, continuing the interrogation. "And what? You wandered into the middle of a field and just found her like that?" Although Hollis had spoken up before, his anger was directed solely at Jackson. " _What happened_?"

"It's not my fault," Jackson argued, losing some of the fear.

"She's your girlfriend-"

"No, she's not. I didn't go with her to the formal," Jackson said, shaking his head.

"Then who did?" The Sheriff loosened his grip on his jacket, seeming confused by the information he had received.

"Carter," Hollis spoke up. "Jackson and I just found her like that."

Releasing his hold on him, he stayed quiet and tried to process everything. After about a minute, he turned to Hollis as a new problem presented itself. "Where's Stiles?" He asked, looking past her.

"He's…," Hollis trailed off, wondering what to tell him. The truth was out of the question but she didn't know what else to say. Saying that she didn't know would only make him worry and, with everything they were all dealing with, she didn't want that either. "I think he's with Scott," she said but the worry didn't leave his face. It was probably due to the uncertainty of her words or expression. Or perhaps both.

The Sheriff turned towards the two deputies. "Somebody find my son," he said before he gestured for Hollis to follow him. They stepped off to the side, away from Jackson and the officers. "I feel like I'm not getting the whole story here. What happened?" His tone was gentler, unlike the one he had with Jackson before.

Hollis opened her mouth but closed it. "I don't know," she said with a shrug. "I went looking for Lydia after Carter said she went to find Jackson. When I got to the lacrosse field, she was…." Images flashed through her mind, bringing back the painful memories once more. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "She was hurt. Then Jackson came to help and…," she paused with a shrug, looking around the hospital.

He nodded understandingly, although he hadn't learned much else about that night's' events. "Did Jackson…."

"No," Hollis said, shaking her head. "He didn't hurt her. He wouldn't."

Sheriff Stilinski considered her words for a moment. With a sigh, he nodded. "I didn't think so. I just want to know what happened. Who, _what_ , did this to her."

She stayed silent for a moment. The guilt at knowing who was responsible for her best friends' attack and not being able to say returned. She pushed that feeling away, forcing it down. "Will she be ok?"

"I'm sure she'll be fine," Sheriff Stilinski told her quickly.

Something about his expression or perhaps the way he said it bothered her. "Please. Just tell me the truth."

His expression grew grim but he nodded. "Lydia lost a lot of blood but...that's not the only problem. The doctors are saying it's like she's having some weird allergic reaction. She keeps going into shock and they don't know why."

Hollis let that sink in, feeling the worry intensify inside her. "Can I see her? I need to see her." She stood up, not waiting for an answer.

"Hollis. Wait a second," the Sheriff said, standing up as well. "You -" He glanced down at her ruined dress, at the dried blood that coated her hands. "Are you hurt?"

She followed his gaze and frowned. Sighing, she shook her head. "No, I'm ok," she told him, wiping her hands on her dress absentmindedly.

"You're sure?" He asked and, when she nodded, he said, "You should get cleaned up. Take care of yourself first. Lydia can wait."

Hollis started to argue that Lydia was more clearly important than getting cleaned up but stopped. "Then I can see her?"

"Yes," he said. "Bathroom's this way," he gestured toward the hallway that spanned off to the left. "Second door on the right."

She thanked him and moved down the hallway in the direction of the bathroom. Before she reached the door, Jackson blocked her path.

"What did you tell him?" He asked, stealing a quick glance in the Sheriff's direction.

"Nothing. Just that we found her like that," Hollis said but his expression continued to be unbelieving. "Do you really think I'd tell him that a _werewolf_ attacked Lydia? The same werewolf that was supposed to have died in a fire a few years ago?"

His expression relaxed.

"Apparently Lydia keeps going into shock. Like an allergic reaction or something. The doctor's don't know what's wrong with her," she added quietly.

Jackson looked down at her with worry. "But she'll be ok...right?"

She shrugged, unsure herself. "I don't know."

A heavy silence fell at the hopelessness of her words. The reality of what happened seemed to set in just then. The aftershock of Peter's attack faded, leaving them all in a state of panic. Up until that moment, everything had seemed to move in slow motion but it sped up as Lydia's condition stared them in the face.

"I need to...I have to get cleaned up." Hollis stepped past Jackson and entered the bathroom. It was empty and cold, which was a perfect match to how she felt in that moment. Shakily, she stepped up to the sink and kept her eyes downcast as she turned the water on. It was awfully loud in the silence of the room but it managed to mask some of the terror that circled around her.

Lukewarm water flowed over her hands, turning the white porcelain a rusted red as the blood swirled around the drain. Hollis scrubbed her hands harder, turning the once white foam an orangey-red. The minutes ticked by as she tried to get her friends' blood off of her but it seemed to be everywhere. Sticking to her like glue.

The water started to clear as it dripped from her hands. Hollis still wasn't satisfied but turned the tap off. Drying her hands, Hollis finally looked up at her reflection. Shock took place of the worry. Tear tracks ran down her face, exposing just how filthy her skin was. She ran a hand through her tangled hair but it got stuck each time she tried to brush her fingers through. She moved her hand to her neck, where the bruises peaked out from behind her hair. Turning her head, she winced at the finger-shaped marks where the shallow cuts rested. More dried blood coated her skin and, she wiped at it with her semi-wet towel. It only smeared the red streaks but she didn't have the energy to fully clean it. Eventually she gave up, knowing that what she truly needed was a long, hot shower.

Hollis moved her hair so as to cover the bruises, not wanting to draw attention to them. Not only did she not care about her own injuries at the moment but she didn't have the explanations for them. Once she made sure her hair hid everything, she stepped out of the bathroom to find Jackson waiting for her.

He leaned against the wall, lost in his thoughts. When the door closed, it jarred him out of his mind and he looked towards her. "Better?"

"I don't think I'm ever going to be better." Hollis had made it out to be a joke but there was nothing funny about it at all. In fact, there was more truth to the statement then she realized. "I'm ok, though," she reassured him with a small smile.

"Same," Jackson replied, returning the smile as best he could. "Let's go find Lydia."

They moved towards the ICU. Finding Lydia's room proved to be easy as a group of teenagers crowded around the waiting area. Everyone looked worried but Hollis had a feeling they were just feeding their curiosity than caring for the welfare of her best friend. Hollis and Jackson pushed through the crowd but a nurse stopped them from entering the room, stating how Lydia was still in a fragile condition.

Through the glass, Lydia rested in bed. She looked peaceful, almost as if nothing had ever happened to her but that clearly wasn't true. Machines surrounded the bed, their faint beeps heard despite the noise in the hallway.

"She looks so...peaceful," Hollis said.

"And stable," Jackson said. "That's good right? That she's not going into shock or anything?"

Hollis nodded numbly, hoping against hope that it meant that she was ok or close to it.

"I'm sorry. You two can't be here right now," a voice said.

"You're kidding, right?" Jackson asked, anger seeping into his tone. "She's our friend, unlike all these other idiots crowded around here," he said, his voice rising with the intention to be heard by everyone.

The nurse looked like she wanted to send them away but then decided against them. "Just a couple minutes. Then you two really need to go." With a pointed look, she walked away.

Hollis turned back to the window, watching as her friend slept peacefully. For the second time that day, she felt helpless. Other than be there for her, Hollis couldn't do much else and it frustrated her. The minutes ticked by and, out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the nurse lurking. "We should go," she said.

Reluctantly, Jackson agreed, mumbling under his breath as they moved away from the room.

They sat down in the chairs along the wall, defeat and exhaustion taking a toll on them both. It was already an incredibly long night but neither of them felt inclined to leave. Without answers or any way of helping their current situation, they decided to hang around the hospital with hopes of seeing Lydia get better.

"This sucks," Jackson said more to himself than to make conversation.

Hollis nodded either way. "I know. I just feel so helpless."

"Me, too," Jackson said.

Sighing, she brushed her fingers through her hair in an effort to get the more prominent tangles out. Although it wouldn't help with her already messy appearance, it was more of a distraction than a style tactic.

"I thought you said you didn't get hurt," Jackson said, throwing an exasperated look her way.

Hollis looked over at him questioningly.. "I didn't," she said but he continued to stare at her neck. Realization dawned on her quickly. "It's nothing," she said as she moved her hair to hide her injuries.

Jackson rolled his eyes. "Hollis."

"Jackson," she said, matching his tone. "I'm _fine_."

'Yeah, okay." He forced her hair away from her neck and inspected the bruises and cuts that decorated her skin. "Peter did this?"

Hollis sighed, moving his hand away. "Okay, fine. Yeah. He did it to motivate Stiles to help him. But, seriously, it's nothing."

"It doesn't look like nothing," Jackson muttered.

"Well, they're nothing compared to Lydia's injuries. So, they aren't important," Hollis retorted, wanting the subject dropped. She re-covered her neck and looked away from him, hoping to get the point across that she no longer wished to talk about this.

The hallway bustled with students, doctors and police. The person standing by Lydia's room caught her attention. It took her a few moments before she realized that person was Allison.

"I'll be right back," Hollis said as she stood up. "Allison's here. I need to talk to her."

Jackson glared at the unfinished conversation but looked in the direction Allison was in and nodded.

Hollis crossed the hallway and caught up with her friend. "Ali."

Allison seemed to be lost in her thoughts but, at the sound of her name, looked over to see Hollis beside her. "Oh, my God, you're okay!" She exclaimed and pulled her into a hug. "What happened to Lydia? I got your message and...What the hell is going on, Hollis?"

There was so much that she wanted to tell her. The truth sat at the tip of her tongue but the words that spilled out of her mouth were the general explanation she had given to her teacher and the police. Allison looked skeptical, which surprised her but she didn't comment on it. "Where've you been? Are you okay because you look -"

"I need to tell you something," Allison interrupted nervously. She pulled her aside, away from prying ears. "I...uhm...it's…."

"What's wrong?" Hollis asked.

Allison took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I saw Scott turn into a werewolf," she said slowly and watched Hollis for a reaction. "I know it's crazy. Absolutely _insane_ but apparently my family are hunters, which is why we have all these guns and weapons and…. Did you know that the animal attacks weren't caused by a mountain lion but a werewolf? My whole family lied to me, Hollis. Scott...he's this monster and…," she trailed off, looking defeated and terrified.

Hollis froze. The words that had tumbled out of Allison's mouth shocked her, so much that she couldn't say anything. Her reaction, although genuinely surprised, was short of what Allison had expected.

"Why don't you look as freaked out as I feel?" Allison asked cautiously.

"Ali, listen -"

"You _knew_ , didn't you?" Allison accused.

Hollis nodded. Even though she was practically caught red handed, she felt a small weight lift from her shoulders at not having to lie anymore. "I found out a couple weeks ago."

Allison stepped back, shaking her head. "You didn't tell me? Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because Scott didn't want me to. He was trying to protect you from all this. Trust me, I wanted to but...this whole thing is so crazy."

"I can't believe you kept this from me, Hollis," Allison said. "Did you - Did you know about my family?"

Hollis could see the hurt and betrayal on her face but she nodded. There was no reason in hiding anything now. No amount of explanation could make Allison feel better and, truth be told, she wanted to tell her everything. She had hated keeping her in the dark, despite how dangerous the entirety of this reality was. "I'm so sorry, Ali."

"I have to go," Allison said, backing away from her. "My aunt's...waiting." She sidestepped around Hollis and disappeared into the group of teenagers still crowded around the waiting area.

"Great," Hollis said quietly, staring at the area where her friend had once stood. With a sigh, she returned to her seat by Jackson. "She knows."

"Everything?" Jackson asked, surprised.

"I think so, yeah," she said with a nod. "She's so mad at me that I didn't tell her."

"She'll be ok," he told her. "You were when you found out."

Hollis nodded slowly, knowing that Allison _would_ be fine. Whether or not she'd forgive her was another story, though.

"Told you he'd make it," Jackson said after a few minutes. Nudging her, he gestured to the where Stiles entered the ICU.

Hollis followed his gaze and a smile lit up her face. The worry that had been eating at her melted away. She ran over and threw her arms around him. "You're alive!" Hollis said, looking up at him.

"Yeah, I'm okay," Stiles reassured her, returning the hug.

"I was freaking out this whole time, thinking that Peter would hurt you or…," she trailed off, pushing those horrible what-if's that had been floating around her mind away.

"I told you I'd be fine," Stiles said and planted a kiss on her forehead.

Hollis smiled, just happy that he was okay. "I know...but I was still worried."

"There you are," Sheriff Stilinski said, stepping towards them. "It's a good thing we're in a hospital. Because I'm going to kill you."

"What? Why?" Stiles looked to Hollis for an explanation but she shrugged.

"Because I didn't know where you were. Because Hollis showed up, not sure where you were either," the Sheriff explained.

Hollis gave Stiles a sheepish smile, mouthing the word 'sorry' for getting him in trouble.

"I had to run here. My Jeep...the keys...I lost my keys," Stiles stammered.

"And," the Sheriff continued, either ignoring his answer or not believing it, "Because there's a girl lying in the ICU after she was attacked!"

At this, Stiles looked past his dad and into the ICU. "How's Lydia doing?"

"They don't know," Hollis said with a frown.

"What? Why?" Stiles asked.

Hollis went to answer but another voice joined their conversation, calling to her.

Grant stood a few feet away. Worry coated his face until he looked in their direction and, a wave of relief washed over him at seeing Hollis in one piece.

"I called your dad," Sheriff Stilinski told her, taking note of her surprised and confused expression.

Hollis nodded but barely. She didn't know if she was happy that he was there or not what with the way their last conversation had went. It had left a noticeable rift in their relationship. Things had gotten back much to how they had been when her dad had first returned. Awkward and silent.

"You should go talk to him. He was worried," the Sheriff continued gently.

"Right. Yeah," Hollis agreed and reluctantly made her way towards her dad. She stopped in front of him, searching her mind for something to say that wouldn't lead them into a fight. But before she could open her mouth and utter a word, he pulled her into a hug.

"You scared the crap out of me, Hollis," Grant said.

"Yeah, well, I'm okay," she told him and pulled back from his grasp. "But...sorry."

"What the hell happened? The Sheriff called and said Lydia was attacked. That you were with her at the hospital," Grant said, shaking his head. He looked at her, searching her face for answers.

Hollis debated on how much to tell him. Although he knew of Peter and werewolves, she wanted to reveal as little as possible about Scott and Stiles. She was sure their involvement in this would come clean eventually but, for now, she thought it best to not say anything. After much thought, Hollis gave him the condensed version of that night's events.

Grant ran a hand over his face as he listened to her speak. His expression changed from disbelief to worry to anger and back again as if on repeat. His expression grew grim as a thought came to mind. "Peter didn't hurt you, did he?" He held her at arm's length and looked her over.

Hollis shook her head but the movement caused the hair that covered the injury to shift. She tried to fix it but her dad pushed her hair aside, his face going slack at the sight of the bruises and cuts.

He stared at her speechlessly but the expression spoke volumes.

"It's nothing," Hollis reassured him, pushing his worries away.

"Do you even know what just a scratch can do? It can turn you...or kill you," Grant said quietly but his voice was one hundred percent serious. "We should get this checked out."

"No, dad, I'm fine," Hollis argued. "It's not even that deep. It doesn't even hurt," she lied.

"Hollis, I told you I didn't want you involved in this," he said, raking a hand through his hair. "I thought that what I told you about Peter would make you understand just how _dangerous_ this is."

"I _do_ understand but I made the choice to help my friends no matter what," she said.

"Your friends? What do they…?" Grant trailed off, perplexed.

Hollis stared wide-eyed at the information that had slipped out. Although she hadn't said her friends knew about the supernatural, it was just enough to get the wheels turning in her dad's mind.

Grant opened his mouth to speak but thought better of it. He looked past her to where Stiles stood and remained quiet for a couple minutes. "Your friends are involved in this?" He asked when he looked back at her, his voice surprisingly calm and quiet.

Hollis thought about lying but, considering that she had already been caught in a lie, decided against it. Instead, she nodded.

"I don't want you spending anymore time with them," Grant decided firmly.

A humorless laugh escaped her lips. "Are you serious?"

"Yeah. You're done with this, with everything that has to do with Peter."

"I'm not just going to _abandon_ my friends!" She said, shaking her head. "Dad, the whole situation tonight could've gone a lot worse if Stiles hadn't…. He helped, okay? He made sure that Peter wouldn't hurt me. But a couple of my friends still need help so I can't just do nothing."

"Well, that's exactly what you're going to do," Grant told her gravely. "We're going home. Right now."

"No," Hollis said, ignoring the anger on his face. "I'm not you, okay? I won't just stand back and let something happen to them. Let _Peter_ hurt them."

"You're not -"

"You can't stop me." Hollis backed away from him and turned to where Stiles had been standing with the Sheriff. The spot was now empty, save for the occasional nurse or teenager. Her dad continued to talk to her but she pushed his words aside as she searched the area for any sign where Stiles had gone. When her search came up empty, she walked to where Jackson sat. "Did you see where Stiles went?"

He looked up at her and shrugged, briefly looking behind her. "No clue. Why?"

"Because I can't just sit here and do nothing. Scott's still out there somewhere and...I need to help."

"Let's find him," Jackson said, standing up. Catching the look she threw him, he sighed. "What?"

"Nothing," Hollis said with a smile. "You just might want to be careful. People might actually think that you care."

Rolling his eyes, Jackson moved past her. "Shut up," he muttered but there was a trace of a smile in those words.

The search didn't take long because the first corner they turned, they found Stiles. They caught up to him as he was heading towards them.

"I was looking for you," Hollis said. "Where are you going?"

"To find scott," Stiles answered.

"Good. We're coming with you," she told him.

Stiles looked from one to the other, slowly shaking his head. "You should stay here. _Both_ of you. It'll be safer."

"I don't care. I'm not going to let you go alone again," Hollis argued.

"Besides, you don't have a car," Jackson pointed out.

"I'm aware of that, thank you," Stiles said.

"I'll drive," Jackson stated, bringing the topic to a close.

"Just because you feel guilty all of a sudden doesn't make it okay. Half of this is your fault," Stiles said, turning on Jackson.

"Let him help, Stiles," Hollis said, stepping into the conversation.

Frowning, Stiles stayed quiet and considered her words.

"I have a car. You don't. Do you want my help or not?" Jackson asked once the silence had stretched too long.

Stiles looked at Hollis and then at Jackson. His decision was reflected on his face but he didn't look too happy with it. "Did you bring the Porsche?"

Jackson nodded as he pulled the keys out. "Yeah.

"Good. I'm driving," Stiles said, taking the keys from him.

Jackson looked like he wanted to protest but then nodded.

The three of them walked down the hallway but before they got far, Argent and two hunters rounded the corner, blocking their path.

"Boys," Argent said then, noticing Hollis, his smile faded a fraction as a look of surprise crossed his face. "Hollis," he said with a friendly smile. "I was wondering if one of you could tell me where Scott McCall is."

"Scott? Haven't seen him since the dance," Stiles answered.

Argent looked disbelievingly at him before he turned to Hollis. "Have you seen him?"

"No," Hollis said truthfully. "I'm not sure where he is."

"See? We don't know." Stiles shrugged before turning to Jackson. "Jackson, you?"

Rather than speak up, Jackson stared at Argent wide-eyed. The words he supposedly wanted to get out remained stuck, unable to escape.

"Oh, for the love of-" Stiles said, shaking his head.

"Take them," Mr. Argent said, gesturing to the three of them. The two hunters each grabbed Jackson and Stiles, forcing them into an empty room.

Hollis was the last of her friends to enter. While Stiles and Jackson crashed into the room, slamming across the floor, she had walked in. Despite the non-violent entrance, she quickly joined them on the other side of them room. Hollis helped them up as the door clicked shut behind them.

Argent stepped forward and, although he didn't look like he'd hurt them, the two hunters behind him both had their guns drawn.

Her pulse quickened at the sight of them. Although no harm had come to them so far, she wasn't sure if that was the case now. The windowless room was small with only one exit and that was currently blocked.

"Let's try this again. Where is Scott McCall?" Argent's voice was still calm but there was an underlying tone of anger hidden.

"I don't know!" Stiles said.

Unsatisfied, Argent yanked Stiles up by his coat and slammed him against the wall.

Hollis moved forward but one of the hunters grabbed her and held her back.

"Let me go!" Hollis struggled against the vice-like grip but his hold on her arm remained strong. "Don't hurt him. He doesn't know," she said.

Argent looked towards her, a flash of pity on his face before he turned back to Stiles. "Let me ask you something, Stiles. Have you ever seen a rabid dog?"

Hollis and Jackson exchanged a look, confused on what that had to do with anything.

"No, but I'll put it on my to-do-list if you let us go," Stiles said.

"I have," Argent continued. "And there's only one thing I've ever been able to compare it to. Seeing a friend of mine turn on the night of a full moon. Do you want to know what happened?"

"Not really, no offense to your storytelling skills," Stiles said.

"He tried to kill me and I was forced to shoot him in the head. But even while he lay dying, he was still trying to claw his way toward me. Still trying to kill me like it was the most important thing he could do with his last breath. Can you imagine that?"

"No, but it sounds like you could be more selective with your friendships," Stiles stated but he went too far with the sarcasm because Argent pulled him closer, a flash of anger in his eyes.

"Stop! Please," Hollis said and held her breath, watching as Argent reeled back the anger.

"Did Scott try to kill you on the last full moon? Did you have to lock him up?" Argent asked.

Although the question had been directed at Stiles, Hollis was reminded of that day. A look of recognition passed over her face because Stiles looked her way, followed by Argent.

"You've known for a while, haven't you, Hollis?" Argent asked, focusing his attention on her. "Tell me, what did he do? Was he violent? Did he want to kill you? Did he -"

"Yeah, I did," Stiles interrupted, pulling Argent's attention away from her. "Handcuffed him. Why?

Would you prefer I put him in a basement and burn the house down around him?"

Hollis winced at the last sentence as it was a reminder of what her dad did. She still hadn't come to

terms with it and didn't know if she ever would. But she knew why Stiles had said it. It wasn't to hurt her but to see what Argent knew, if anything.

"Sorry to dispel a popular rumor, but we never did that," Argent said.

"Oh, right. Derek said you had some kind of code. I guess no one ever breaks it," Stiles said.

Argent shook his head. "Never."

"What if someone did?" Stiles asked.

"Someone like who?" Argent questioned.

"Your sister," Hollis said quietly.

Argent turned on her. "What are you talking about?"

"Kate. She set the Hale house on fire," Hollis said.

"And how would you know that? You weren't there. You didn't see it happen," Argent said defensively.

"Hollis, you don't have to -" Stiles started.

"Because my dad told me," Hollis said. "He knew Kate. She...she knew my dad was friends with the Hales and, she promised my dad she could help them. But her idea of _help_ meant killing them. My dad was there when she set the fire. He couldn't stop it."

Argent stared at her disbelievingly.

"Why would I lie about this?" Hollis asked. "I'm telling you the truth. Your sister _was_ involved. So was my dad."

Argent studied her carefully and processed her words. It looked like he didn't want to believe it but he knew that there was a semblance of truth to it. "Let them go," he said with a heavy sigh.

[- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -]

Hollis climbed into the back of the Porsche, the nervousness from their encounter with Argent and the hunters still clinging to her. The adrenaline started to wear off, leaving her more than a little exhausted. More than anything, she wanted to go home and forget all of this. She'd had enough of the life-threatening adventures for one night but it was far from over. There was (hopefully) one more stop before they could call it a night but it was the one that literally held everything on the line.

The anxiety from the pressure seeped back into her at the mere thought of it. It was enough to get her heart racing again. Despite the fear and being emotionally and physically drained, she would see this through until the end.

"You didn't have to do that back there, you know," Stiles said after they've been driving for a few minutes. He looked over his shoulder at her before turning his attention back to the road. "Tell Argent about your dad, I mean."

"I kinda did, though," Hollis replied.

"So you thought it was a good idea to lie to him?" Jackson asked, joining the conversation.

"It wasn't exactly a lie," she said quietly.

Jackson threw a look her way. "So your dad actually did that?" He watched for her reaction before shaking his head. "Wow. That's messed up."

"Shut up," Stiles said at the same time Hollis said, "Yeah, I'm aware. Thanks."

"I didn't mean anything by it," Jackson said defensively then gave her an apologetic smile. "I just meant...it's messed up. That your dad had a part in that."

While Stiles glared at him, Hollis nodded slowly.

"No, it's fine," she said with a sigh. "But the truth would've come out either way. If I hadn't told Argent, then chances are Kate would've. And I'm guessing that her version would've been her pinning it all on my dad."

"How do you know your dad's version isn't a lie?" Jackson asked, voicing the question that had been nagging at her since she first found out.

"I don't," Hollis said with a shrug. "But he didn't make himself out to be a victim. He took the blame for his part in it. Something that Kate wouldn't do."

A few more minutes went by in silence as they drove further from town. The buildings and houses had turned into dense, ominous woods on either side of them. The only light paving the way for them came from the car's headlights. It was like the road was trying to tell them just how unsafe their situation was, warning them to not go any further.

"So, what's the plan? Do we just grab Scott and leave?" Hollis asked, pulling her attention away from the window.

"I don't know," Stiles answered as he glanced into rearview mirror. He caught her eye and gave her a small smile that was meant to be reassuring but it held a mix of uncertainty in it.

"Wait," Jackson spoke up. "So you're saying that we're going into the middle of this _without_ a plan?"

"Pretty much, yeah," Stiles answered, throwing a glare in his direction. "If you have a problem with it, you can get out now. But you wanted to help, remember? So either shut up or get out."

Jackson replied with a glare of his own but refrained from commenting. His silence was enough of an answer, though. He was in it, just as much as they were.

They turned onto a dirt road. Rocks and branches crunched under the tiles as the car twisted it's way down the narrow lane.

"Hey, hey. This isn't exactly an all-terrain vehicle," Jackson said after the car took a few more hits from the uneven ground.

"Yeah, did you pay for it?" Stiles asked, navigating the car down the impossibly dark road.

"No," Jackson grumbled after a minute.

"Then shut up," Stiles told him.

Hollis leaned forward in the seat and looked out the windshield. Apart from the dark trees that rose up above them, she didn't see much although she felt every jolt the car took.

A dark shape came into view, ominous against the midnight sky. The Hale house stood tall, almost invisible as it blended into the dark surroundings. It was her first time seeing the burned remains of the house. Only one thought came to her mind upon seeing it: that her dad was responsible for this destruction. Her lungs constricted at the thought; at the horrible reality that someone so close to her could cause this. She looked away, unable to look at the grim reminder of her dad's' actions.

The headlights illuminated the activity as well as the beast, who somehow seemed unaware of their presence.

"Is that…?" Hollis trailed off, the fear turning her blood cold.

"Yeah," Stiles said as the car skidded to a halt.

"How in the hell are we going to fight that?" She asked, unable to wrap her mind around the impossible task. It was hard to imagine that the _thing_ standing before them was Peter. If she had been scared before, she was terrified now.

"I've got this," Stiles said before he jumped out of the car.

"So he actually has a plan now?" Jackson asked, looking over his shoulder at her.

"I hope so," she whispered. Forcing down her fear, she exited the car along with Jackson.

They entered the battlefield in the midst of a war. Her eyes roamed over Scott who was lying on the ground to Allison who tended to her dad, who remained unconscious. She ran to the back of the car to find Stiles rummaging through the trunk. She watched nervously, her eyes darting back and forth between the car and the Alpha, who made his way towards Allison. She wanted to yell out for her to watch out but Stiles spoke up.

"I hope this works," he said as he closed the trunk.

"What is that?" Hollis looked at the liquid that sloshed around in the beaker.

"Molotov cocktail," Stiles said, passing one to Jackson.. "I-I remembered when we were stuck in the school. Lydia made it that night but the ingredients were messed up," he said.

Jackson glared, catching onto Stiles' comment.

Hollis sighed, tired of the two of them arguing back and forth all night. "He's not blaming you," she told Jackson in hopes of calming the situation. They had bigger problems than whose fault it was about something that happened weeks ago.

"No, I kinda am," Stiles admitted but, catching Hollis' expression, added, "But it doesn't matter. Come on." He ran around to the driver's side and flung the door open to hit the horn. The sound of the beep broke through the activity around, turning all eyes on them.

Peter turned towards them at the same moment that Stiles threw the beaker. It sailed through the air and the three of them held their breaths, waiting for it to impact with him. But Peter caught it in the palm of his hand.

"Oh damn," Stiles said, clearly not expecting that to happen.

"Allison!" Scott's voice shouted, carrying across the yard. When she looked his way, he threw the compound bow her way.

"Can she do this? She can do this, right?" Jackson asked nervously, watching as Allison nocked the bow and arrow.

Hollis smiled softly, remembering the last time Allison had used the bow. "Definitely."

The Alpha looked in confusion towards Allison and to the beaker before realization hit him. At that moment, Allison's arrow shot through the glass. The chemicals spilled all over his hand before flames erupted.

"Jackson, now!" Stiles said.

Jackson threw the second beaker and it hit the Alpha's torso, instantly bursting into flames.

The Alpha's shriek pierced the air as the fire snaked across his skin. The smell of burning flesh filled the air, mixing with his screams of pain. In a matter of seconds, the flames consumed him and all of the writhing and twisting didn't help stop the fire from spreading.

Hollis averted her eyes then, unable to watch Peter slowly die. As much as she hated him, she didn't want to watch as he was ironically subdued to fire once more.

Sensing her discomfort, Stiles took hold of her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.

Hollis smiled at the comfort, thankful that no words were needed to be said about the situation.

The screaming died down just as quickly as it had started. Peter now lay on the ground, unmoving.

"I can't believe that worked," Jackson said with awe as only a sliver of black smoke floated into the air.

"Me, neither," Stiles agreed, equally as surprised. Catching their looks, he nodded. "I mean, I-I knew. Yeah, I knew it'd work."

Despite the gruesome situation, she couldn't help but smile at his words. But that smile soon faded when she noticed Derek walk up to what remained of Peter. He put out the rest of the flames with his jacket and stood over his dead uncle with an eerie look of calm. The jacket fell from his hands, covering the body charred beyond recognition.

"Wait. You said the cure comes from the one who bit you," Scott said, desperation coating his words as he too noticed Derek. "You do this and I'm dead. Her father, her family… What am I supposed to do?"

"What's he talking about, Stiles?" Hollis asked quietly, confused by Scott's words.

"Peter turned Scott into a werewolf. So if-if Scott _kills_ Peter, he'll be cured. He won't be a werewolf anymore," Stiles explained.

"Kill?" Hollis asked, looking towards Scott and the jacket-covered lump that was Peter. "Wait, he -"

Her words faded when she noticed Derek's clawed hand rise up over the body. The realization of what was about to happen turned her stomach more than the fire from before.

"Don't!" Scott yelled at the same time that Hollis closed her eyes.

Despite his pleas, Derek brought his hand down and severed Peter's throat. The sound of flesh tearing filled the air and the metallic smell of blood mixed with the scent of fire.

Stiles put a comforting arm around her, drawing her to him as Peter turned towards them. His eyes were now the same shade of red as Peter's had been.

"I'm the Alpha now," Peter told them. Before anyone could react, he disappeared into the shadows.

They stood there in silence for a moment to let the events of the last few seconds sink in. Despite their victory of defeating Peter, the air around them was sullen. Even the conversations that began shortly after didn't carry the level of energy and joy that would be expected after all they had accomplished.

Hollis stood silently beside Stiles. Her mind was on autopilot, processing everything she had just witnessed, but no words passed through her lips. The shock seemed to keep its claws in her, refusing to let go. Seeing Allison out of the corner of her eye, she snapped out of those thoughts. A wave of guilt hit her, which pushed the remainder of shock out of her system. Hollis hated having Allison mad at her. Their friendship meant a lot to her and, she hoped that they could get past that. The question wasn't 'if' but 'when'.

She moved away from Stiles and towards Allison. Her steps were tentative and careful as she approached her and Scott, her mind buzzing with all that she wanted to say. But as she stopped beside Allison, her mind was blank.

"Ali...I, uhm…," Hollis trailed off.

Allison turned to her, her expression unreadable. Without uttering a word, she pulled Hollis into a hug.

Hollis smiled, wrapping her arms around her best friend. "I'm so sorry, Ali. I wanted to tell you."

"I know," Allison said.

"Are we okay?" Hollis asked cautiously when they pulled apart from the hug.

A silent moment passed between them before Allison nodded. "Yeah. I mean, I'm still a bit mad but...I get it. We're okay," she assured her.

The weight fell from her shoulders. She felt increasingly better to know they were on good terms. Her smile faded when she saw Scott staring off into the distance. "I'm sorry, Scott," she said with a sigh. Although the idea of Scott killing someone seemed unbelievable, she understood why he had considered it. "But we'll get through it."

"Together," Stiles said, stepping towards them.

Scott gave them a weak smile before nodding. "Thanks."

[- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -]

"You sure you didn't want me to drop you off at home?" Stiles asked quietly, watching as Scott looked around the corner into the hallway.

"Lydia's my best friend. I need to know if...I have to be there," she told him.

Stiles nodded understandingly and reached for her hand.

The discussion about Lydia's bite had raised a series of questions on the drive over. It was debatable on whether she would turn from the bite or die. The latter option seemed to hover like a bad omen, especially when one of them mentioned the weird allergic reaction and shock Lydia seemed to be going into. The mere rescue seemed to not have done much in the means of saving her life. There were other threats that Lydia faced, life-threatening ones.

Once again, Hollis feared for her friends' life.

"Come on," Scott whispered, moving with stealth across the empty hallway.

Visiting hours were over, as was quite obvious from the deserted hospital. A lone nurse or doctor wandered every now and them, causing them to hide until they passed. They snuck past the the nurse's station and waiting room without being detected. Although the ICU was out of their sight, it was close distance-wise.

Their careful steps prolonged the short trip to Lydia's room. The door creaked open and they poked their heads into the room. They slipped inside quickly, ducking down as an orderly passed further down the hall. Crouched down, they tried to minimize any noise that might give away their presence.

"That was close," Hollis whispered, peeking through the window to see that the coast was clear.

"Shut the door," Scott said.

Stiles nodded and reached for the door. With the gentlest touch, he pushed the door a fraction but it squealed obnoxiously. He paused, seeing both Hollis and Scott cringe at the noise.

Hollis held her breath, hoping that no one would hear and come investigate. Once again, she peeked through the blinds but didn't see anyone. She slunk down against the wall and nodded to Stiles to continue.

With even more gentleness than before, Stiles went back to closing the door. Despite the care, the squeals sounded even louder as if on purpose. He tried another tactic, pushing the door slower but the shriek of metal scraping metal filled the still air. It was painful, both in sound and loudness.

Hollis winced at the sharpness of the noise.

Stiles finally managed to close the door with an unnecessarily loud click.. "What?" He asked, looking from one to the other.

Scott shook his head in frustration and stood up, followed by his friends.

Together, they made their way through the dark room towards the bed where Lydia lay. She was sound asleep, much like before. She looked peaceful but it was obvious that breathing proved to be difficult.

"So, what do we do now?" Hollis asked, glancing at the two.

"We check the wound. If it's healed or healing, it's good. Well, good that she's alive. Bad meaning she's probably a werewolf," Scott explained.

A worried look passed over her face as she stared down at her friend. She had gone through so much and it didn't look like that was the end of it. Hollis wished she could take the pain away or at least do _something_ other than stand there helplessly.

"Do it," Stiles said.

"You do it," Scott told him but Stiles just shook his head. "Hollis?"

"I can't," Hollis said quietly. "I'm too worried."

Scott hesitated a moment before he lifted the bandage off Lydia's wound. But the identical look of fear he wore with his friends turned to confusion.

"What's wrong?" Hollis asked.

"Is it healed? Completely?" Stiles questioned.

"No, not all," Scott said.

With morbid curiosity, Hollis and Stiles looked at the wound. It was bloody and scabbed over, nothing at all abnormal about it.

"I don't get it. The doctors said she was going to be fine," Stiles said.

"But the bite's not healing like it did with me," Scott said.

"Which means, what?" Hollis asked. She tried to solve the problem herself but exhaustion mixed with the pure adrenaline that pumped through her veins all night long prevented her from thinking logically. Not that there was anything logical about the supernatural.

"She's not a werewolf," Scott told her, the confusion evident in his voice.

"Then what the hell is she?" Stiles asked, sounding just as confused.

Scott shook his head, no answer coming to him.

"Maybe it just means that she's fine. That there's no supernatural stuff in her system. Maybe when Peter died, the effects wore off," Hollis said hopefully.

"I-I don't know," Stiles said, shaking his head. "It's possible."


	28. Chapter 28

_Hey, guys! Sorry for the super long wait but I finally managed to finish this chapter. I'm still working on my other idea. The gifs are almost done but I just need to tweak a couple things before I post it. I decided to change a major factor in literally a couple days ago so, of course, I need to go back and change some of the gifs I already made. Like I said, they will be posted on my Tumblr: scottspierce So please follow me there._

 _I will be posting Update "Chapters" here every now and then, which I will delete after a week. This way, I can be in touch so you'll know that I'm still here as well as let you know what I'm working on, when a gifset is up on my Tumblr, etc._

 _Anyway, hope you guys like the new chapter! It took me forever to write thanks to my writer's block and trying to make it perfect. Let me know what you think! Reviews are always appreciated as are criticisms (as long as they're nice) and so are ideas. If anyone has an idea, let me know. I'm not going to promise to add everything you all want to happen but I'll try my best :)_

* * *

Hollis walked in a stupor. Each step forward was heavy and clumsy. It wasn't until she rounded the corner that she snapped out of her thoughts. Cops and doctors converged in front of Lydia's room as an investigation was well under way. Amongst the police, Sheriff Stilinski spoke with Mr. Martin down the hall. Propelled forward by her rapid heartbeat, she pushed through the crowd and into the room. Although she expected to find the room empty, heart sank. The reality of Lydia's disappearance turned Hollis's blood cold.

"Hollis!" Stiles skidded to a stop in front of her. "You made it. Are you okay?"

"No, I'm not okay. What the hell is going on, Stiles? She was… Lydia was right here when I left. How is this possible?"

"I-I don't know. I mean, I was here the whole time. Well, not in the room with her but, you know, in the hospital. I was just around the corner getting a snack from the vending machine when I heard her scream. But when I got here she wasn't here," he explained in one breath.

"This…it doesn't make sense. Peter's gone. So is Kate so there's no reason…," she mumbled.

"It'll be okay." Stiles squeezed her hand, but it did little to calm her.

"I, but…. This is insane. How did she leave with no one seeing her?"

Stiles shook his head in confusion. "All anyone knows is that she left through the window."

Hollis squeezed her eyes shut in hopes of life returning to normal when she reopened them. That was not the case though. Lydia's room remained empty and the investigation continued.

"Will they find her?" Hollis searched his face for an answer.

"Yeah, definitely," Stiles said with confidence.

Hollis tried to find comfort in those words but wasn't able to. Not because she couldn't but because life played a cruel game of give and take the past few days. It was hard to get her hopes up. She bit her lower lip and turned as the Sheriff approached them.

"Any news?" Stiles asked.

Sheriff Stilinski shook his head. "There's no witnesses and nothing to go on. It's like she vanished into thin air," he said with a heavy sigh before his eyes landed on Hollis. "But, I'm glad I caught you. You saw Lydia before, right?"

"Yeah but only for like a couple minutes," she said.

"Okay. Well, I'd like to -"

"Dad," Stiles interrupted and stepped between the two. "Hollis... She-She wasn't even here when it happened."

"Stiles -" The Sheriff started.

"No. Dad, you can't think…. You're wrong if you think that," Stiles argued.

The Sheriff pinched the bridge of his nose as Stiles ranted on. He tried to get a word in but that proved to be difficult if not impossible. "Stiles…. Stiles!" He raised his voice. "I don't…. I just need to ask her a couple questions. Can I just do my job? Will you let me do that? Please?"

Stiles looked sheepish. "Oh," he whispered. "Right. Yeah, yeah. Sure. I'll just be…," he pointed towards the waiting room and nodded more. "There. If you need me, I'll be there. Waiting." With one final nod, he walked away.

"How do you put up with him?" The Sheriff chuckled, making her smile. " Anyway," he said and glanced down at the notes. "Did Lydia seem different? Did she saw anything odd?"

Hollis thought back to a few hours ago. "No," she shook her head, "I mean, she was - she was Lydia. There wasn't...She was okay before I left."

"So, she didn't tell you she wanted to leave?" he asked.

Again, Hollis shook her head. "I mean, yeah, she wanted to leave but she wouldn't just disappear like that."

As the questioning continued, her answers turned vague but it wasn't for lack of trying. She tried to remember as much as possible but nothing stood out.

"Okay, thanks. This helps," he said and tapped a pen against the paper.

"No, it doesn't," Hollis said with a sigh. "I wasn't here when she left so I don't…. I can't…," she trailed off.

The Sheriff placed a hand on her shoulder. "Hollis, this isn't your fault. You had no idea this would happen."

"If I had stayed with her instead of going home I-"

"No," he interrupted. "It's not your fault."

Hollis sighed. "Yeah, but… I left Lydia alone twice. Both times something bad happened."

"It was an accident, that's all. You need to stop blaming yourself for everything bad that happens, kiddo." The Sheriff smiled down at her before he glanced past her with a bemused expression.

Stiles walked towards them and tried to appear as inconspicuous as possible and failing.

"I thought you would wait in the waiting room until we finished," the Sheriff said.

"Yeah, I am. I mean, I was, but I was just…. Are you two done yet?" Stiles asked.

Sheriff Stilinski nodded. "Yeah, I got what I need, so it's…" he trailed off when Nurse McCall approached him and held up a finger for her to give them a minute. "I'll get a search party together and get them to start searching. But I want the both of you home, got it? No wandering the woods or conducting a search of your own. Leave this to us."

Stiles nodded firmly, which the Sheriff regarded with distrust.

"I mean it, Stiles. Home." With that, he turned towards Nurse McCAll. "You checked the whole hospital?"

"Every last corner," Nurse McCall replied and followed him down the hallway.

Despite the reassurances, Hollis was hopeless.

"Are you okay?" Stiles asked.

"No." Hollis shrugged. "We should be out there, Stiles. We can't - I can't go home and wait for someone to find her."

"Who said we're going home?" Stiles asked with a mischievous smile.

A smile stretched across her face. "You have an idea," she stated, to which he nodded.

"I talked to Scott while you were talking with my dad and, he said he can help find her."

"You mean like track her down?" Hollis asked.

"Yeah. He just needs the hospital gown she was wearing before she disappeared."

Hollis turned to find Lydia's room closed and unguarded. "I'll run in and get it. Just guard the door, okay?"

Hollis slipped inside and closed the door with a soft click. She checked the room before she moved on to the bathroom. Puddles from an unfinished shower covered the tiled floor and the gown rested on the sink. She sidestepped the puddles and shoved the gown into her bag.

"Did you get it?" Stiles asked when she stepped out.

"Yeah," she said and patted the bag. "Will this work? I mean, will Scott really be able to track her down?"

"Scott thinks he will." Stiles led them down the hallway where a crowd of doctors and cops gathered.

"... Get an A-P-B out for a sixteen-year-old redhead," Sheriff Stilinski addressed the crowd. "Any other descriptors?"

"Yeah, we can probably help with that," Stiles spoke up.

The group turned as one to the eavesdroppers.

Sheriff Stilinski sighed. "What are you two still doing here?"

"Providing moral support?" Stiles asked with a grin but his comment wasn't appreciated.

"How about you provide your ass back home where you should be?" Sheriff Stilinski told him.

"I can do that, too." Stiles took hold of her hand and led them away from the group.

"We're still doing this right?" Hollis whispered once they were out of earshot.

"Yeah. Scott's probably already waiting for us."

[- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -]

The night air was cool when Hollis and Stiles pushed through the double doors that led out to the parking lot. A breeze picked up and she worried about Lydia who wasn't dressed for the low temperature. She pushed the worrisome thoughts out of her mind and followed Stiles through the maze of parked cars. They reached the Jeep to find Scott already there.

They piled into the car, Stiles and Scott in the front with Hollis in the back. No sooner than she closed the door did Scott turn around to face her. "Did you get it?"

Hollis reached into her bag and pulled out the crumpled hospital gown.

"This is the one she was just wearing?" Scott turned the fabric around in his hand.

"Yeah, that's the one," Hollis said but her eyes remained on the gown, frozen on the dried blood stains. It was from the wound that refused to heal, which presented another problem.

Scott followed her frown. "I'm not going to let anyone hurt her. Not again."

Hollis nodded to his words. "Will this work? I mean, you can track her right?"

"Yeah, yeah," Scott said hesitantly. "I-I've never done this but there's no reason I can't, right?" He stammered.

"Just shove the thing in your face and let's find her." Stiles started the car, ready to put the car in reverse.

"Wait!" She yelled.

Startled at her outburst, Scott and Stiles regarded her with curiosity. Without a word, she pointed out the windshield to where someone stood illuminated in the headlights.

"Is that Allison?" Stiles squinted.

"I think so." Hollis moved forward in the seat to get a better look.

Scott rolled down the window when Allison rushed to the passenger side of the Jeep. "What are you doing? Someone's going to see us-"

"I don't care. She's my best friend. And we need to find her before they do," Allison blurted.

"I can find her before the cops," Scott told her.

"How about before my father does?" Allison countered.

"He knows?" Hollis asked.

"I just saw him and three other guys leave my house in two SUV's," Allison told them.

"A search party," Scott said although it didn't sound like it.

"More like a hunting party," Allison said.

They exchanged a worried expression. If Mr. Argent found Lydia, there was no telling what he'd do. Hollis doubted he would show mercy, not after he had let Scott go.

"We have to find her first, you guys," Hollis said.

Stiles must have agreed because the locks clicked to unlock the door.

"Get in," Scott said and pushed the door open.

Hollis moved over as Allison scrambled into the back seat. No sooner had the door shut that Stiles pulled out of the parking lot. Everyone remained quiet while they drove further from the hospital until it was a dot in the background. The worry consumed them but it was Hollis' mind that refused to turn off. She tried to quiet the thoughts, but they latched on and refused to leave.

"I thought we said she wouldn't turn," Hollis spoke up after a few minutes passed.

Scott and Stiles exchanged a nervous glance.

"We did," Scott said with unease.

"So, what the hell is going on?" She asked. "She didn't heal, which means she's not a werewolf so -"

"Maybe she's something else," Stiles said and glanced at her through the rear view mirror.

"But what?" She ran a hand through her hair. "Ally, any ideas?"

"I'm not sure," Allison said with a shake of her head. "I literally just found out about all of this. But my family only hunts werewolves so…," she trailed off with a shrug.

The unanswered question hung in the air like a dark veil. Hollis refocused her attention on the road ahead but all that she saw was darkness. The headlights, although they illuminated the road, offered little in the way of visual. Ironically, the outdoors matched their current mood: dark and gloomy.

"Let's say she is turning," Stiles started with a glance in the rear view mirror, "If she's turning, would they actually kill her?"

Hollis turned to Allison for confirmation but she shrugged.

"I don't know. They haven't been telling me anything. All they say is we'll talk after Kate's funeral when the others get here," Allison said.

"What others?" Hollis asked.

"They won't tell me that either," Allison admitted with a frown.

"Okay, your family has some serious communication issues to work on," Stiles stated. He glanced in Scott's direction, who had his head out the window. "Scott? We going the right way?"

Scott sniffed the air. "Take the next right!" He yelled out directions as he followed a scent only he was able to smell.

Each turn took them further from town and, the lack of signs provided little regarding where they were. They followed Scott's directions for several more minutes before he told them to stop.

"Where are we?" Hollis asked and stepped outside. The cold slapped her face and sent a shiver up her spine.

"Not sure," Scott mumbled, ignoring their reaction. "I'm just following the scent. I'm not a GPS."

Hollis smiled apologetically as she took in the woods that surrounded them.

"This way." Scott pointed with certainty.

The four of them walked in utter silence save for the occasional sounds of nature. The short walk felt more like a four mile trek through the woods before a dark shape came into view. It loomed over them but upon closer inspection, they were able to determine it was the burned out and rotted skeleton of the Hale House. The only semblance of color was the yellow police tape stretched across the windows and door.

"She came here? You're sure?" Stiles asked skeptically.

"This is where the scent leads," Scott answered with a shrug.

"But has Lydia ever been here?" Stiles asked.

"I don't...I doubt it," Hollis answered.

"Maybe she came here on instinct. Like she was looking for Derek," Allison suggested.

"You mean looking for an Alpha," Scott said.

Allison nodded. "Wolves need a pack, right?"

"Not all of them," Scott said.

"But would she be drawn to an Alpha?" Hollis asked and tore her gaze from the house. "Is that an instinct? To be part of a pack?"

Scott nodded. "We're stronger in a pack."

"Like strength in numbers?" Hollis asked.

"No. Like literally stronger. Faster. Better. In every way," Scott answered.

"Is it the same for an Alpha?" Allison questioned.

"It'll make Derek stronger, too," Scott said with a nod.

"So we should just talk to Derek then," Hollis suggested and started towards the house but Scott blocked her path. She tried to walk around him but his reflexes stopped her each time. "Scott."

"He's not in there, Hollis," Scott said. "And neither is Lydia. She was but not anymore." The small bubble of hope that had sprung up with her idea shattered.

"We'll find her," Allison spoke up and Scott nodded in agreement.

She offered them a small smile and nodded.

"Hey, look at this." Stiles waved them over as he knelt on the leaf covered ground.

Hollis exchanged a shrug and a glance with Allison. Curiosity got the best of her, though and she squinted at the ground.

"You see this?" He asked when they stopped beside him.

"What? The dirt and leaves? Yeah, I see that" Hollis said, unsure of what it was he found.

Stiles glared at her. "I'm talking about this." He lifted a thin wire that stretched between two trees. "I think it's a tripwire."

"Weird. What does it do?" Hollis asked.

"No clue." Stiles pulled on the wire and the three of them stared at it.

A sound sliced through the air and pulled Hollis' attention from the ground. She turned as Scott got yanked off of his feet. Her eyes widened at the sight but a small laugh escaped her lips. She covered her mouth to keep from laughing at the ridiculous sight.

"Uhm, you guys," Hollis said at the same time that Scott said, "Stiles…"

Scott swung by one foot, his head a couple feet off the ground.

"Yeah, buddy…" Stiles turned around and froze. "Oh."

Allison and Stiles both burst out in a fit of laughter and Hollis joined in.

"Very funny," Scott said as he swung from a tight cord. "But next time you see a tripwire? Don't trip it."

Stiles nodded. "Noted. But, just so you know, it was Hollis' idea."

Hollis shoved him playfully, but he only stumbled and laughed. "Hey, you're the one who pulled it."

"But you're the one who wanted to find out what it did," Stiles pointed out.

Hollis glared at him yet a smile appeared on her face. "We should help him down."

The three of them approached Scott with smiles on their faces, shaking their heads in amusement.

"Wait." Scott stopped them mid-step.

"Why? What's going on?" Hollis asked.

"Someone's coming. Hide," Scott said and when they didn't move, he yelled, "Go!"

Hollis glanced into the shadows. "Are you-" She started but didn't have time to finish her question. Stiles pulled her away just as a few figures appeared.

Argent and his hunters moved stealthily from the shadows. They stopped before Scott who hung by the tripwire and spoke quietly.

"My dad won't hurt him," Allison reassured her. "He promised he wouldn't. He's only looking for Lydia."

Hollis nodded to her words. "But we should still help him. In case."

Stiles just shook his head and tightened his hand around her arm to prevent her from moving. He ignored the look she threw him and pulled her behind him.

The lack of gunfire and yelling settled their nerves. Dogs barked off in the distance and shattered the silence that engulfed them all. Hollis jumped from the sudden noise and peeked out from behind Stiles to see the flashlight beams as they bobbed in between the trees. The barking sounded closer but there was no telling how close.

Argent and his men spoke quietly before they left Scott hanging in the tree.

"They're leaving," Hollis breathed.

They waited a few more seconds then walked towards Scott.

"You okay?" Allison asked as she rushed over to him.

Scott nodded or at least tried to, considering he was still upside down and hanging from a wire. "Just another life-threatening conversation with your dad."

"We need to get him down," Hollis said.

"Stiles, help me with this." Allison tugged at the solid line.

Before either of them could move, the sound of claws unsheathing sounded and the cord tied to Scott's leg snapped. He dropped to his feet unsteadily but with a smile.

"Thanks. But I think I got it," Scott said.

"Impressive," Hollis said with a smile. "So, what did Allison's dad say?"

Scott talked but stopped. Behind them, the flashlight beams were more prominent. "I'll tell you later. We need to go." He looked over his shoulder. "You coming?"

They followed Scott through the woods. Leaves rustled and branches snapped as they navigated the dark forest. Hollis lost her balance a couple times, unable to move with the stealth that Scott possessed. Within a matter of minutes, they reached the Jeep and left the Hale House and the two search parties behind.

When they had distanced themselves from the woods, Hollis spoke up. "So are you going to tell us what he said?"

Scott considered his words. "He said…. Argent told me that if Lydia's turning, he won't let her get away."

"Great," Hollis muttered. With arms crossed, she sat back in the seat.

Argent's threat weighed on them. A difficult situation turned even more difficult by it. Fear for their friend kept the four of them quiet and lost in their own troublesome thoughts.

"So, what's our plan?" Hollis spoke up, again breaking the silence. She turned into the backseat where Scott sat with Allison. "Scott?"

Scott snapped out of his thoughts. "What?"

"What now?" Hollis repeated.

"I-I don't know," he admitted with a shrug.

"What do you mean you don't know?" Allison asked.

"I mean I don't know. Lydia's trail ended back there. I have no clue where she went next," Scott said.

"Can't you try to track her down again?" Stiles tore his eyes away from the road to the rear view mirror.

"I guess I can try," Scott said uncertainly. "Do you still have the -"

Before Scott finished, Hollis handed him the gown.

He sniffed the fabric and stuck his head back out the window.

Hollis held her breath as her hope inflated again.

The window closed and, Scott returned to find everyone staring at him. "It didn't work. Sorry."

Just like that, her hope deflated. She closed her eyes and rested her head against the seat. It was hard to accept that her friend was out there somewhere but with no way to track her.

"I tried," Scott added.

Hollis opened her eyes at those words. "Well, try harder," she told him. "Please."

Scott seemed doubtful but nodded. The wind whistled and chill of the air entered the Jeep for the second time. It was only a matter of seconds before Scott pulled back into his seat and shook his head. "There's nothing. I'm sorry but I-I can't find her."

Hollis sighed in frustration.

"Hollis," Stiles said but she ignored him.

"You tracked Lydia from the hospital to the Hale House. It can't be that hard if you did it before," she argued, only half-aware of how unjust she sounded.

"It's not Scott's fault. He's trying," Stiles said to calm her.

"Well, it's not good enough." Hollis glanced at Stiles to see disapproval on his face. She tilted her head and said, "Ok, don't...look at me like that, Stiles."

"We all want to find her," Stiles said.

Hollis didn't doubt it for a minute. "Look, all I'm saying is that Scott got a 'get-out-of-jail-free' card. Argent let him go because Ali begged him to. Lydia doesn't have that so if the hunters find her before we do…," she trailed off.

"That's not fair, Hollis," Allison piped up.

"No, it's not." She a hand through her hair and tried to straighten out her thoughts. "I just don't get why you can't track her."

"It's because I'm still new to this, Hollis. This isn't…. I can't just turn it on." Scott shrank down from her hard expression.

"But you promised you could help find her. Just trying isn't good enough. It won't help us help Lydia."

"I-I'm sorry. But Derek didn't exactly have time to teach me everything. There's still a lot I need to learn."

Hollis opened her mouth to speak but Stiles took hold of her hand. She turned to him, already aware of what he would say before he even said it.

"Ease up a little, okay?" He laced his fingers through hers and gave her hand a quick squeeze.

Hollis nodded and tried to swallow the anger but it proved to be difficult. It overpowered the worry, which made it easier to handle the situation. She knew lashing out on her friends was unfair, but it kept her from going insane. Still, her words had hurt the people closest to her, and she hated herself for it. She took a deep breath. "You're right, sorry," she whispered. "I mean it, Scott, I'm sorry. You're trying to help and, I acted like a jerk."

"Don't worry about it," Scott told her with a smile.

Hollis returned the smile, but it didn't reach her eyes.

[- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -]

"Do you want to tell me what's wrong?" Stiles asked after they dropped Scott and Allison off at the hospital.

"You know what." Hollis tore her attention away from the window. "I'm worried about Lydia."

"Yeah, and so are we," Stiles said. "But I don't think it's why you went into super freak out mode on us before. So, what's wrong?"

"Nothing." Hollis shrugged. "There's nothing else to tell."

Stiles nodded, unconvinced. "Yeah, okay."

Hollis noticed his tone and sighed. "What do you want to tell you, Stiles?" She looked at her hands and chipped away the color from her already chipped nails. "That I feel helpless because I can't help my best friend? Or so guilty that I can barely breathe?" She dropped her hands into her lap and brushed away the flakes of paint that decorated her pants. "Because I do, okay?"

He frowned and reached for her hand. "You can't - It's not your fault."

"But what if it is?" She shrugged. "What if all of this is happening because of what my dad did to the Hale's? Like some twisted karma that affects me, too." She let all those buried emotions rise to the top. "Or maybe it's because I refused to help Peter. I mean, he told me he'd hurt someone if I didn't. He attacked Lydia and now she's missing. So, yeah, it feels like it's all my fault."

"It's not," he said. "Look, we all feel like crap about this. Scott's mad because he couldn't protect her. Allison's own family is hunting her best friend and, I didn't do much to help either. If I told Peter how to find Derek sooner, this wouldn't be happening. So, you can't think this is all your fault, because it's not."

His words took some of the weight off of her shoulders. Hollis had been selfish in thinking she was in this alone but she shared the guilt with her friends. They were in this together.

Hollis smiled. "Thanks. And I'm sorry for freaking out before."

"You already apologized for that. You know, before," Stiles told her.

"Yeah, but I didn't exactly mean it," she admitted.

Stiles shook his head with a laugh. "Well, apology accepted."

The tension evaporated but the troublesome thoughts remained. With it, negative thoughts tumbled in one by one and assaulted her mind. Each idea was worse than the last.

"I wish we could've done more to look," Hollis spoke up and tried to quiet the voices in her head. "It just doesn't feel like we did enough."

Stiles nodded in agreement "But we did what we could."

"Yeah, I guess," she nodded.

"We're not giving up," he told her. "Besides, my dad's still out there."

"So is Argent with the rest of the hunters," she added.

"Hollis…." Stiles said.

She nodded. "I know, okay? I'm just on a negative streak tonight."

"You really are," Stiles agreed with a nod.

Hollis rolled her eyes, but a smile broke through her frown. She remained quiet, which allowed for the thoughts to re-enter her mind. The negativity continued but, amongst it, a light shed on an idea. It was not a good idea, let alone a safe one, but it distracted her enough for a shred of hope to fill her. It cast aside those thoughts that threatened to crush her. A small smile flicked across her face as that seed of an idea blossomed.

"I'm going to get home," Hollis blurted, sitting up in her seat.

"You-you sure? Are you going to be okay?" Stiles asked, surprised at her sudden need to leave.

"Yeah, yeah, definitely," she answered.

Through narrowed eyes, he studied her. "What are you up to?"

Hollis reigned in the stammer that threatened to leave her lips. "Not-nothing. I'm not up to anything." She could tell that he didn't believe her. Her lack of lying skills hurt right now so she put on her best, innocent smile. She tilted her head to the side and she rolled her eyes. "I swear, Stiles. I'm just going home."

[- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -]

Hollis wasn't going home. She tapped the steering wheel while she followed the twists and turns of the road. Her heartbeat sped up and her head screamed for her to turn around. But she came too far to quit. Tonight, giving up wasn't a part of her vocabulary despite how nervous she was. She let out the breath she had been holding and focused on the road ahead.

Minutes later, she pulled onto the gravel road that served as a small parking lot. Rocks crunched underneath her tires as she slowed to a stop. The headlights illuminated the gated entrance to the Beacon Hills Preserve and, she sat staring at it. The dense forest beyond beckoned to her and, it was too late to turn back now. She was here and needed to follow through with her plan. She pushed the fear that inched its way to the front and shut the car off then stepped out into the cool night.

"You can do this," she said to herself as she pocketed her keys. She ducked under the chain that served as a fence. Leaves and twigs crunched with each step, sounding far louder than it was. When it became too dark to see, Hollis switched on the flashlight on her phone. It gave little light, but it was better than going in blind.

She walked deeper into the preserve and remembered her last solo visit back before she was aware of what lurked in the shadows. Now she was cautious as she put one foot in front of the other. With each magnified sound, Hollis glanced behind her more times than she could count.

The lack of a path proved difficult to navigate and, the small beam of light did little to help. Her boots caught on roots and slipped on rocks but she continued to walk deeper into the forest. It didn't deter her from the task at hand. Whether she was being stupid or brave, she had to do this.

"Almost there... I think," she mumbled, taking a moment to catch her breath.

Wings flapped overhead and broke the silence. Her heart beat even faster from the sudden noise. Hollis laughed to herself at how jumpy she was. As her laugh died, the sensation she was being watched crept up on her. A chill crawled up her spine and stifled the good humor, replacing it with terror. Hollis glanced behind her for the umpteenth time but saw little save for trees and bushes. It was still and quiet as she searched the space behind her.

 _It's just a squirrel. Or a bunny_ , Hollis thought, but it didn't make her any less scared.

One foot in front of the other, she moved forward until the Hale House came into view, a skeleton of its former self. Hollis frowned at the destruction that had been part of her dad's doing. But she wasn't here to dwell on the past or her dad's actions. She was here to find Derek.

She climbed the creaky porch steps and stopped in front of the red door. She hesitated a moment then raised her hand and knocked. The floorboards didn't creak and no voices were raised to signal that anyone was home. She craned her neck to stare up at the house. The fire damage was present and noticeable even at night. The boarded up windows provided no insight into the house.

"Great," she muttered under her breath for the second time that day. Hollis scanned the deserted property with hopes for some clue on what her next move should be. Determined, she grabbed the doorknob and turned. It was unlocked and creaked on its rusted hinges before it hit the wall. A plume of dust and dirt rose into the air.

The house was still. "Hello?" Hollis called and took a step into the entrance. She coughed at the dust that tickled her throat. She moved her phone around and the flashlight bathed a small space with light. "Derek?" She stepped further into the house, the abandonment and horrors of what occurred there hung in the air.

Derek wasn't home, which was a disappointments. It made her trip to the house

pointless.

Lost in her thoughts, she didn't hear the creak of the floorboards until the sound was behind her. She froze, the light from the flashlight danced as her hand trembled from fear. She told herself it was Derek, but that didn't mean he'd let her go when she had just broken into his home. Her mind wandered to the other possibility that it was Argent, and she didn't know which terrified her the most.

With false bravery, she turned and collided with someone. The phone dropped from her hand and the feeble light it had provided was put out. Her scream mixed with the other person. A light shined in her direction like a shield. The panic subsided as she squinted against the light.

"Stiles?" Hollis stared past the glare of the light. Stiles stood before her, a flashlight in one hand and a baseball bat in the other. "What are you doing here?" She fought for control on her beating heart.

"What am I doing here? What are you doing here?" He asked as he tried to catch his breath. "You told me you were going home."

"I-I was." Not able to stand the bright light anymore, she reached out and moved his hand away. She blinked several times to get the tiny dots out of her vision. "I just came here instead," Hollis said with a shrug. She glanced at the floor to find her phone amid the dust and leaves. She picked it up to see it was working. The flashlight was on, its light weak as always but working. She turned the app off then placed her phone in her pocket. "Were you following me?"

"Yeah, of course," Stiles answered and ignored the exasperated look she threw him. "I thought you were up to something so I, you know, followed you." As he said this, he took in the broken room with its dusty and leaf strewn floor to the hole in a section of a wall.

"I couldn't just ignore that Lydia had been here. Everyone said we'd do more tomorrow, but I didn't want to wait another day so... I went by myself," Hollis explained.

"You should've told me your plan. I mean, I would've gone with you," Stiles told her.

She felt guilty for not telling him. "I'm sorry."

Stiles shot her a reassuring smile. "So, you think Lydia's still here?" He asked and shined the flashlight around the room, its beam bouncing off broken furniture.

"Actually, no." Hollis squirmed under the suspicious gaze he aimed at her and struggled with her next words. "I didn't come here to find her. I mean, of course I still want to find her but I came to talk to Derek."

Wide-eyed, he stared at her as her words sunk in. "Are you…. Seriously? Derek? Y-you came here to find Derek?" Stiles stammered. He shook his head in disbelief. "You do know we can't trust him right? Coming here, by yourself…. Hollis, that's dangerous and -"

"Yeah, I'm aware of that," she snapped. Realizing that her tone had been a little harsh, she threw him an apologetic smile. All the problems weighed her down, making her exhausted and ill-tempered. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to -"

"It's okay. I get it," Stiles told her. Although he was quick to accept her apology, it made her feel worse for it. "If you or Scott were missing, I'd be doing everything I could to find you. But why Derek?"

Hollis collected her thoughts. Her reasoning behind it was simple, but putting it into words would complicate it. "I thought he would be our best lead in finding Lydia or he could tell us where she is or what she's turning into."

Stiles nodded like he tried to understand but she could tell from his expression he didn't. "Yeah, but…. Why would help us?"

"Because he helped Scott when he turned, right?" Stiles nodded and, she continued. "So, I figured he would help with Lydia, too."

"But he wasn't exactly hesitant about betraying Scott a couple nights ago. He promised Scott a cure but being an Alpha was more important to him."

A brief image of Derek killing Peter flashed in her mind and, she shook her head to get rid of the gruesome image. "I know but, Stiles, I couldn't give up." Frustrated at the outcome, she frowned. "Of course Derek wouldn't be here the one time I need to talk to him."

Stiles shifted his weight from one foot to the other. "It wouldn't hurt to take a look around. You know, for clues or something."

The frown melted off her face at his suggestion and, she nodded. It wasn't ideal but at least the trip wouldn't be a complete waste. Their search began on the first floor and they worked their way up, room to room. Each area held nothing but charred and weather beaten remains of a house once lived in.

Hollis had suggested they wait for Derek but Stiles dispelled her suggestion by pointing out that Derek might not be happy about their breaking and entering. Although they could wait outside his house, there was no telling when Derek would return.

"Nothing," Hollis said once they returned to entryway. Her expression had gone from hopeful to disappointed in a matter of minutes. "We checked the whole place and…," she shrugged as the worry that had faded returned.

He put an arm around her shoulders and pulled her to his side.

She leaned into him and took in the comfort he offered but it did little to ease her troublesome thoughts. Still, she smiled her thanks.

"We tried," he whispered.

Hollis nodded with a sigh. "Yeah, but I just thought we'd find something. I thought Derek could help, but he's not here."

"Lydia will show up. I promise we won't stop looking for her."

"Thanks," Hollis whispered. "I'm serious, Stiles. Thanks for putting up with my crazy plan. It meant a lot."

Smiling, Stiles nodded. "Let's get home."


	29. Chapter 29

_New chapter :) Sorry it took so long to get this written and posted. But I hope you like it! Please review, favorite, etc. Also, follow me on Tumblr (_ scottspierce _). I'll be working on the next gifset and, when it's posted, I'll let you know by posting an update chapter on here. I also have this idea to start posting picture sets of my new idea on Instagram. Gifsets take a while (which I'll still be doing) but this way I'll be able to post more._

Anyway, enjoy the chapter. Please remember to review! I love hearing from you guys.

* * *

It was a terrible feeling to expect someone to be there when they was no longer around. Hollis experienced that feeling after her parents' accident. There had been days when she believed she would find her mom reading in the living room or her step dad doing the morning crossword puzzle at the kitchen table. But then she would walk into an empty room and, it was like a punch to the stomach: disappointing and suffocating.

To this day, that feeling remained and lingered just beneath the surface.

As Hollis sat in her car watching the dozens of students walk with their friends, that feeling returned. This time, it had nothing to do with her parents but with Lydia. Without her best friend by her side, the school felt wrong. Empty.

It took all of her willpower to get out of the car. The last thing Hollis wanted was to sit in a classroom and learn while Lydia was missing. The temptation to get in her car and drive away was strong. Go somewhere, anywhere other than here but she fought against that urge. That need to run away until all was better.

Her steps were sluggish, almost mechanical as she started towards the school. She looked around, expecting Lydia to stroll up to her with that confident smile of hers. But it wasn't likely to happen and, the only familiar person she spotted was Jackson.

"Here's a dollar. Go find another parking lot to die in," Jackson said, putting his wallet away. "Security!" He turned away from the homeless man, a satisfied smirk stretched out on his face. A trademark of his personality.

Hollis rolled her eyes at the typical Jackson move.

"What?" Jackson asked with an exasperated sigh.

"Nothing."

"It's never nothing with you, Hollis. So, _what_?" He asked again.

The books weighed her bag down, causing the strap to painfully dig into her skin. She used the seconds it took to readjust the strap to gather her thoughts. "Nothing. You just didn't have to be such a jerk," she said, looking past him.

Jackson followed her line of sight and scoffed. "Really? This is about the tweaker?" Without waiting for a response, he rolled his eyes then walked past her.

"Hey. Jackson, _wait_ ," Hollis said and, he turned with a look of annoyance. "Have you heard anything? About Lydia, I mean. I was hoping someone would know -"

"I don't know anything," Jackson interrupted, his answer so casual they could've been talking about the weather.

Hollis frowned, more from his answer than the way he said it. "We tried looking for her last night. But Scott - he couldn't track her," she said, sounding as defeated as she felt. "Do you have any idea where she could be? Where else would she go?"

Jackson shrugged, shaking his head as if being asked a complex question. "How should I know? I don't keep track of her anymore."

"Look, I know you guys broke up but you can't tell me you're not worried." Hollis searched his face for any semblance of emotion but his scowl only deepened. "Come on, Jackson. I know you still care for her. You don't have to act tough. Not with me. Not after everything we've been through. So if you know _anything_ , just tell me. Please."

He sighed in annoyance and, Hollis held her breath as she waited for another Jackson-esque response. But none came. "I don't know where she is, okay? Other than the mall and your house, there aren't many places she'd go. But the cops will find her. Don't worry." With that, he walked past her and towards the school.

Despite being unsatisfied with his answer, Hollis had no choice but to accept it. She turned and followed his retreating form towards the main entrance of the school. Before she could get far, she heard her name and looked towards the source. Scott and Stiles stood off to the side, waving her over.

"Any news on Lydia?" Hollis asked when she stopped beside them. She looked from Scott to Stiles, her hope deflating at their sullen expressions. "Nothing? Seriously?"

"We still don't know where she is," Scott said.

"But we know where she _was_. The graveyard," Stiles added. "Apparently there was a grave robbery last night. My dad questioned Mr. Lahey and Isaac about it this morning."

"Okay, but what does that have to do with Lydia?" Hollis asked.

"Because of what was stolen," Scott answered.

"A liver. She stole it. Well, we _think_ she ate it," Stiles said.

Hollis wrinkled her nose at the information.

"What? It's the most nutritious part of the body," Stiles said in response to her reaction.

"Still. It's gross," Hollis said. "Is there any way to track her down?"

Scott shook his head. "But we were going over everything I did when I first turned. What I did, where I went. I mean, I didn't eat anyone's liver but I was drawn to Allison. She kept me in control. So we know the night Lydia was bit, she was at the dance with Carter but -"

"She went looking for Jackson," Stiles finished. "So, we're thinking -"

"He doesn't know anything," Hollis interrupted. "I just talked to him. Either he's a great liar or he's telling the truth and doesn't know anything." She believed the latter, knowing not even Jackson would risk Lydia's safety.

Scott and Stiles shared a look, an identical frown on their faces.

"Don't worry. We'll find her," Scott said.

Hollis nodded to his words but it wasn't a matter of 'if' but 'when' that bothered her.

"After school, we'll -" Scott trailed off. His attention elsewhere, a smile lit up his face while he looked past them.

They waited a moment to give Scott a chance to finish his sentence but it was apparent that he wouldn't.

"After school we'll what, Scott?" Hollis asked but didn't get a response.

Stiles nudged him then, forcing Scott out of his thoughts.

"What?" Scott looked from one to the other as if seeing them for the first time. "Oh, right. We'll," he glanced past them again, "I-I'll, uhm, I'll catch up with you guys later... in class, okay?" Without waiting for a response, he left their side.

Bemused, she looked over her shoulder. Scott disappeared into a crowd of students and, when the crowd parted, he stood with Allison.

"Did we get ditched?" Hollis asked.

"Yep, looks that way." Stiles nodded.

"Hmm," she mused, smiling at her two friends.

"We should probably get to class, too" Stiles spoke up. "You know, before we're late," he added, laughing at the face she made.

"Yeah, I guess," Hollis said with a sigh, though it was the last thing she wanted to do.

[- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -]

Hollis stood in the doorway of the Chemistry room. Dread spread through her while she stared at the board covered in complex equations and other alien writing. Class had yet to begin and already she felt confused. For a second, she debated skipping to save herself the headache of trying to understand something that didn't want to be understood. But a shove behind pushed her into the room. With no other option, she grudgingly moved towards her seat.

She pulled out her notebook, flipping through the note-ridden pages until she reached a clean page. "This is impossible," she muttered, sighing.

"What is?" Stiles asked.

Hollis turned in her seat, blinking in surprise at finding him and Scott already seated. "Oh, uhm, _that_." She gestured towards the board, wrinkling her nose at the complexity of it. "I'll never understand it."

"Tell me about it," Scott muttered to which Hollis smiled sympathetically.

"I can help you, you know," Stiles said. "Like I did with math."

"Thanks but I doubt I'll be able to catch up now."

"Just how behind are you?" Stiles asked.

With narrowed eyes, Hollis tilted her head. "Probably since like the second or third week," she answered, stealing a glance at them.

"Wh-What?! Why didn't you tell me? You could've told me," Stiles exclaimed.

"I…," Hollis trailed off, shrugging. "I don't know. You were already helping me with math and, I guess I thought I'd be able to catch up on my own."

Stiles stared at her with wide eyes before shaking his head. "You're an idiot, Hollis. I love you but you're an idiot."

She rolled her eyes, a smile tugging at her lips.

"I'm still going to help you," he added with a nod.

She smiled her thanks though she dreaded spending any extra time on Chemistry.

The door opened and let in the noise from the hallway. A couple students entered, each looking more glum than the next as they took their seats. Hollis couldn't blame them because her expression mirrored theirs to a tee. Jackson walked past her desk, chatting with Danny as they made their way towards the back of the room.

"Hey," Hollis said, turning to face Stiles and Scott once more. "Did you get a chance to talk to Jackson?"

They shared a look before Scott spoke up. "Like you said, he didn't know anything. He wasn't exactly helpful either."

"The jackass acted like he didn't know what we were talking about," Stiles muttered, shooting a glare at an oblivious Jackson.

Hollis frowned though she had expected the lack of information and help from Jackson. She opened her mouth to reply but Mr. Harris entered just then and she changed her mind.

Without so much as a greeting, Mr. Harris began the class by handing out a pop quiz. Everyone groaned, including Hollis, who was much worse off than the rest of them.

Minutes ticked by in silence while Hollis struggled with the multiple choice questions. For each question she answered, she erased at least two answers, second guessing herself. At this rate, the entire quiz would remain blank by the time she handed it in. She lifted her eyes to notice that each student worked diligently.

 _Come on, Hollis, focus. You can do this_ , she thought. Taking a deep breath, she let it out and returned to the questions.

"It causes me severe mental anguish to say this, but he's right," Stiles whispered.

"I know," Scott agreed, though he didn't sound at all happy about it.

Her concentration broken, Hollis glanced over her shoulder. "Right about what?"

Scott threw a cautious look towards Mr. Harris before speaking. "Lydia. Jackson thinks she could hurt someone."

Hollis looked to Stiles for confirmation. "You actually believe Jackson?"

"Unfortunately, yeah. I mean,what if the next body part she steals is from someone who's still alive?"

"You mean _murder_?" Hollis was careful not to draw Mr. Harris' unwanted attention. "You guys can't be serious. Lydia wouldn't hurt anyone."

"She's turning, Hollis. It's possible," Scott said.

"No. She - She wouldn't do that," she said, refusing to believe the ugly lie.

"You don't know that," Stiles whispered. "I hate thinking it but -"

"This is a pop quiz, Mr. Stilinski." Mr. Harris looked up from his desk, a cold look in his eyes as he surveyed the trio. "If I hear your voice again I may be tempted to give you detention for the rest of your high school career."

Stiles blinked. "Can you do that?"

Mr. Harris sighed at the lack of silence. "There it is again. Your voice. Triggering the only impulse I've ever had to strike a student. Repeatedly and violently. I'll see you at three for detention."

Hollis narrowed her eyes. "Are you serious?"

With a close-lipped smile, Mr. Harris turned towards her. "You know, Miss. Griffin, I would think that with your bad grades, you would stay quiet on the matter. But, since you insist on talking just as much as your... _friend_ ," he said this word with a sneer, "you can join him after school."

Scott opened his mouth in shock.

"You, too, Mr. McCall?" Mr. Harris asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No, sir," Scott muttered, lowering his eyes to the paper.

The quiz resumed and a heavy silence settled over the class, predominantly over the three of them while Mr. Harris watched them. Hollis couldn't help but fidget in her seat, all too aware of his presence. It was obvious he wanted them to slip up, to say something or make a sound that would give him more ammunition to use against them. She wouldn't give him that satisfaction, though.

When the bell signaled the end of class, Hollis couldn't get out of the room fast enough. It was a relief to stand out in the hall, away from Mr. Harris's prying eyes and smug grin.

"This sucks," Hollis complained, shifting the books in her hand.

"I know," Stiles agreed.

"No, I mean this _really_ sucks." She looked from Stiles to Scott. "We were supposed to look for Lydia after school, and now we're stuck with Harris all afternoon," Hollis said, her nose wrinkling with dissatisfaction.

"We can still look for her later. Don't worry," Stiles reassured her, pulling her to his side.

"Yeah, and I'll try to see if I can find anything out," Scott promised. "You know, while you two are in detention," he added, unable to keep the smile off his face.

"You're enjoying this way too much," Hollis commented to which he nodded happily.

"And thanks for sticking up for us. Some friend you are." Stiles shoved Scott gently. "What happened to our friend code? 'All for one, and one for all'?"

"Since when has that been our code?" Scott asked, amusement playing on his face. "Besides, that's from the Three Musketeers."

Stiles frowned. "Great. So we're not Batman and Robin _or_ the Three Musketeers. That's just great."

Despite the grim circumstance of their detention, Hollis laughed. "You guys are idiots."

[- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -]

Detention loomed over her as the final bell rung. The hallways grew more packed by the minute and students rushed to their lockers, eager to be finished with classes for the day. Hollis wished she could be amongst them but, unfortunately for her, the only place she was headed was the Chemistry room. The one place she dreaded more than anything else. If that wasn't bad enough, it meant a whole nother hour with Mr. Harris.

Frustrated, she slammed the locker door harder than intended. A few glanced in her direction but Hollis brushed off their inquisitive looks.

Books in hand, she moved against the crowd though it proved to be difficult. Every so often, she got jostled and had to regain her balance to keep from tripping or dropping her books. Somehow, she made it to the end of the hallway. Her steps became slower, all urgency leaving her body. The only thing making detention with Harris bearable was that Stiles would be there, too. They wouldn't be able to talk but it was a relief she wouldn't be alone.

Just as she forced her steps to quicken, a figure rounded the corner. Isaac Lahey walked in her direction, oblivious to her stopping in the middle of the hall. She remembered Stiles mentioning Isaac that morning and, a shred of hope filled her at the possibility of him knowing something. It was possible Isaac knew nothing, that he had just noticed the robbed grave and nothing else. Undeterred, she wanted to know for sure. If she couldn't go out looking for Lydia, she might as well question the only person who was there that night.

"Isaac," Hollis said, blocking his path.

He stared down at her, seeming to just notice her there. "What?"

"I-" she trailed off, unsure of how to bring up the subject.

The seconds wasted added to Isaac's impatience. He side-stepped her when it was apparent that Hollis wouldn't say anything else.

"Okay, wait." She panicked that she might have missed her chance at questioning him. Isaac turned to face her. Impatience and curiosity crossed his face as, once again, she remained quiet. The bruise under his eye caught her attention and, she frowned at the sight of it. There had been rumors of Isaac not having the best home life, although the bruise easily could have been due to a fight at school or lacrosse. She hoped it was because of the latter.

"Are you going to say something or just stand there?" Isaac asked, drawing her out of her thoughts.

"Sorry," she said, offering him a small smile. "I just…. I heard you were working the night shift last night."

Isaac shrugged. "Maybe. Why?"

"Because Lydia's missing. She's out there somewhere and, I think she might have gone to the cemetery last night, so -"

"I told the cops everything this morning. I didn't see anything."

"But maybe you did," Hollis pressed, desperation filling her. "I'm not saying you lied but maybe she _was_ there. Maybe she…," she trailed off once more, biting her lower lip.

"Look," Isaac said with a sigh. "All I saw was a dead guy with a missing liver. So, unless you're suggesting that Lydia did some grave night shopping, I can't help you."

Hollis bit her lower lip, struggling to find another way to broach the topic without sounding insane. Or giving away that werewolves were real and Lydia was possibly turning into one. "No, of course not," she said with an awkward laugh. "There's just reason to believe she was there last night. So anything you can remember, no matter how weird or unbelievable, please tell me. She's my best friend."

A flicker of something, recognition perhaps, crossed his face but it disappeared just as quickly. Isaac remained quiet and studied her as if half expecting her to grow wings and fly away. "Sorry. Other than a weird grave robbery, nothing else happened." He turned to walk away then looked over his shoulder. "But I hope she turns up."

Hollis had learned nothing new but she couldn't deny that Isaac had held back. There was something he hadn't told her. It was all she could think about on the way to detention.

"Nice of you to join us, Miss. Griffin," Mr. Harris said dryly. "Detention started ten minutes ago."

"I-I know, sorry," she said.

Mr. Harris discarded her apology. "Did I not specify the time and place for detention earlier?"

"No, you did."

"And you chose to be late anyway." Hollis opened her mouth to apologize but Mr. Harris waved his hand, stopping her. "Take a seat."

With a sigh, she nodded and took in the room. It was empty, save for one desk occupied by Stiles. She glanced over her shoulder before she walked to where Stiles sat, looking over her shoulder as she did so. Mr. Harris didn't seem to object so she quickened her pace and sat down before she could get reprimanded.

"Where were you?" Stiles whispered.

"Talking to Isaac," Hollis replied, casting a look towards Harris. "He doesn't know where Lydia is but...I think he knows _something_."

"Like what?" Stiles asked.

"I don't know. I just felt like he was holding back on -"

"No. Talking," Mr. Harris interrupted.

The two of them faced forward. Harris continued to watch them for a few uncomfortable seconds before diving back into grading papers.

The minutes slowed down as there was nothing to do but sit and stare. Hollis rested her head on her hand, the events of the last few days taking effect on her. Her eyes drooped but she forced herself to stay awake. It was possible that Harris had a no sleeping rule and would be sure to call her out on it.

With sleeping not an option, her mind kept busy by reeling in all the facts she had pushed away. From her dad's involvement in the fire to Peter's fiery death to Lydia's disappearance danced an ugly dance in her mind. As the minutes went by, her mind ached from the information overload. Of having to be reminded of everything she had tried to put out of her mind.

The minute hand ticked closer to four and, Hollis became restless when Stiles nudged her with a smile. At a minute to four, both of them stood up. Chairs scraped the tiled floor, getting Mr. Harris's attention who looked at them.

"Sit," he instructed.

"But it's been an hour," Stiles argued.

"Yeah, it's four," Hollis chimed in, gesturing towards the clock.

He made a point of looking at his watch, a sneer twisting up his face. "It's a minute to four. And my detention runs an hour and a half."

"Are you serious?" Hollis asked with a sigh.

"You can't do that," Stiles told him.

"Oh, but I can. You see, _Stiles_ …" Harris said his name with disdain and stood up, approaching their desk. "Since your father was so judicious in his dealings with me, I've decided to make you my personal project for the rest of the semester. You're going to benefit from all the best that strict discipline has to offer."

Hollis and Stiles exchanged a bitter look.

"Now, both of you, _sit down_ before I decide to keep you here all night." As they slumped back in their seats, Harris turned his attention towards Hollis. "And, Miss. Griffin, you'll remain an extra ten minutes for being late."

She rolled her eyes but said nothing though there was plenty she wanted to say. Biting her tongue, she sat back in the seat and tried not to stare too hard at the clock. It wouldn't make time go by any faster. Still, every now and then, her eyes flickered to the minutes hand as it slowly ticked towards the six.

Four-thirty came and went. Stiles left, which left Hollis alone in utter silence for another ten minutes. She stared longingly at the door. _Just another ten minutes_ , she told herself. The anxiousness made her jittery and unable to sit still. The minutes felt unbearably long as if on purpose.

"You may go." Harris dismissed her with a wave of his hand when the ten minutes were up.

Without waiting for him to say more, Hollis grabbed her bag and raced towards the door. She wrenched the door open, happy to be free. She turned and collided with Stiles who stood just outside the room.

He steadied her with a laugh.

"What are you doing here?" Hollis asked.

"I had detention. You know, with Harris. And you," he answered, nodding towards the room she had just left.

Hollis tilted her head. "No, I know _that_. But I thought you'd be long gone by now."

"And leave you behind? Yeah, no way." He shook his head.

She smiled and planted a quick kiss on his lips. "You didn't have to but, thanks." They moved towards the exit, through the almost empty hallway. "Any news from Scott about Lydia?"

"Not about Lydia but Scott texted me. He wants me to meet up with him at the cemetery. It's Kate's funeral and, I think he wants to be there for Allison. I mean, he's not _attending_ the funeral but he's going to just be there. You know, for moral support or something," Stiles stammered, nodding the entire time.

"And you're going because…?"

"Moral support for Scott, I guess," Stiles answered with a shrug. "I don't know. But I think it has something do with 'the other's' that Allison was talking about the other night. He wants to figure out who they are."

Hollis had forgotten about that. With her mind preoccupied with Lydia and then detention, the information or lack-thereof Allison provided them had left her mind. "So are we going there now?"

Stiles nodded. "We can take my Jeep."

They made it to the double doors and pushed their way out of the school. The parking lot was still surprisingly full. Stiles' Jeep came into view but a text from Hollis's phone interrupted the silence.

Hollis looked down at her phone, a frown making it's way onto her face.

"What's wrong?" Stiles asked.

"Nothing," Hollis said, shoving the phone into her bag. "My dad wants me home. Now. He says we need to talk," she said, making a face. After everything that happened these past few days, she avoided her dad as much as possible, using every excuse in the book to postpone the inevitable. But there were only so many excuses she could use before she would have to face him and everything he did.

"You'll be okay?"

Hollis nodded with a sigh, forcing a smile. "Yeah. I should be used to these talks by now," she joked. "Just let me know what you and Scott find, okay?"

[- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -]

The smell of dinner greeted Hollis when she entered the house. Her stomach growled in response, reminding her of the pitiful lunch she had eaten. Too wound up from the events of the past few days left her with little to no appetite. But now that the scents wrapped themselves around her, she realized just how hungry she was.

"I'm home!" Hollis called, dropping her bag off in the living room before turning towards the kitchen.

Like countless other times this past year, Grant stood at the stove. He looked over at her, the worry dissipating as a smile stretched across his face. "Hey," he said, returning to his cooking. "How was school?"

Hollis sat down at the counter. "It was okay," she replied with a shrug though he didn't see it. Resting her head in her hands, she watched as her dad took extra care with his food, his "creation" as he so often called it. "How was your day?" She asked.

A conversation was brewing in the air, had been brewing for quite some time. The few minimal words that they exchanged were a clear path to a full out conversation that Hollis wasn't interested in having. Yet she couldn't bear the awkward silence that filled the space, weighing down on everything around them.

"Not bad," Grant said. "Your mom's classes are going well. I have a lot to grade but, I guess that's my own fault for assigning so much," he added with a chuckle.

Hollis smiled softly.

"So," Grant started as he took a seat opposite her, placing a plate of food in front of her. "Detention, huh?"

Hollis made a face and nodded. She played with the food, taking small bites though it was still too hot to eat. But from what little she tried, she liked. Her dad's cooking had improved considerably from the days of burning food and ordering take out. His food was now edible, which continued to surprise her despite having grown accustomed to his meals.

"I swear, Harris has it in for us or something. He just, I don't know, hates us," she said with a frown and took a few bites of food, letting it mask the hunger.

"Us?" Grant asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Me, Stiles and Scott," she explained. "But Scott avoided detention today, which was weird."

Grant looked like he wanted to say something but decided against it at the last moment. The subject changed a dozen times over the course of the meal, which was surprisingly pleasant. The air was still heavy with a discussion; a calm before the storm of sorts. But Hollis wouldn't be the first to bring the tension up. She preferred to lead the conversation away from the inevitable topic rather than towards it.

Dinner finished up and, the two of them cleared the table in silence.

"I think," Grant started and paused, throwing a cautious look towards Hollis. He took the last plate from her and set it down in the sink before he turned towards her. He wiped his hands on a dish towel while he gathered his thoughts.

Hollis held her breath as a panicky wave spread through her.

"I think," he said again, "it's time you make some new friends."

The breath was knocked out of her and, she stood in shock. This was not the conversation she had expected to have. Not again. The last time her dad asked her to cut all ties with her friends had been at the hospital Friday night. "What? Dad, no." She shook her head, unable to wrap her mind around what her dad was asking, _telling_ , her to do.

"I don't like that your friends are involved in this. I told you that already." There was no need to ask what 'this' was because there was no use hiding it. He knew of their involvement in the supernatural.

"They didn't choose to be involved in this. Scott didn't _choose_ to get bitten by Peter and have his entire life turned upside down," she said defiantly, crossing her arms.

"I know," he said, holding his hands up. "But it happened. And I need to protect you but I can't do my job if they keep dragging you into this. I allowed it that one time but...this needs to stop, Hollis."

She shook her head in disbelief. "They didn't drag me into anything, dad," Hollis argued. "I figured it out on my own." It wasn't the entire truth considering Jackson had helped put the pieces together but she wouldn't go into that conversation. Not now. "Stiles didn't want me involved in this either. When he found out that I knew...we had a fight. But now-"

"He's letting you put yourself in danger."

"No, it's not like that. He's letting me _help_ my friends. Make my own choices. Of all people, I thought you would understand."

"I do." Grant sighed and ran a hand over his face. "But it doesn't mean that I have to like it. Or allow it."

A long, silent moment stretched out before them. This conversation was worse than what Hollis had expected. She felt herself losing control over her life, over her choices.

"So, what?" Hollis asked, looking towards him for answers. "Are you telling me I can't see my friends? And Stiles?"

He looked at her, the decision turning over in his mind. "It's for the best." He frowned at the disappointed look on her face. "Don't make me out to be the bad guy here, Hollis."

"Well stop acting like one," she said. "You're not exactly innocent in all of this, you know."

Grant's expression hardened. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing. Forget it," she said, biting her tongue from saying what was on her mind.

"No, tell me. I'm curious," he said, though he sounded anything but.

It was a trap and, Hollis knew it though she found it hard to keep quiet. The quiet moment stretched while he waited for her to talk. "It means that everything that's happened these last couple months is because of you. You stabbed Peter in the back when you trusted Kate. If you hadn't betrayed him, he would've have come back from...the dead, or whatever, and hurt everyone. Scott never would've gotten bitten and no one would be involved in this."

"You already know that wasn't the whole story. That's not fair, Hollis."

She shook her head. "No, it's not. So even if I wasn't friends with Stiles and Scott, I would've gotten pulled into this either way. Because of you and all of your secrets. So, maybe the person I really need to stay away from is you." She ignored the shocked and hurt look on his face and turned towards the living room.

"Hollis!" Grant took a step forward, following her into the room. "That's enough. I know you're angry -"

"Yeah, I am," she interrupted, grabbing her bag. "Because you're telling me to abandon my friends! Maybe you're okay with turning your back on people but I'm not, okay? I'm not you. I can't just walk away." She rummaged around in the bag, at last finding the keys and pulling them out.

"Where you you going?" Grant asked, eyeing the keys in her hand.

"To find Lydia. Like I was supposed to before you summoned me for dinner."

He took another step forward. "We're not done with this conversation. You can't just walk out on me."

"Why not? I learned it from you. I guess we have something in common after all." Hollis didn't bother waiting for a reply. She pulled the door open, closing it harder than she intended. Not wasting a second, she got into her car and pulled out just as the front door opened.

Grant stood there in shock, watching her drive away.

When she turned down the street, tears welled up in her eyes. They obscured her vision and, the world around her turned blurry. She blinked them back but the few tears that escaped were just the beginning. Angrily, Hollis wiped them away though they continued to spill down her cheeks. The adrenaline from the fight coursed through her veins as the two emotions battled each other.

The silence broke when her phone rang. A sharp, piercing sound shocked her out of her thoughts. Hollis glanced down at the caller ID, frowning to see her dad's name displayed across the screen. She ignored the call but, a moment later, the phone rang again. Not wanting to partake in part two of the conversation, she turned her phone off and let the calls go to voicemail. The blank screen stared up at her as silence filled the car once more.

For at least a half hour, Hollis drove around town. Her head cleared but a bitter taste remained behind as the aftermath of the fight faded into the background. She was still upset but had calmed down enough to focus and begin her search for Lydia, though she didn't know where to start.

Hollis parked on a side street to get a plan together. She remembered Stiles telling her he would be at the cemetery with Scott but that had been almost two hours ago. The chances of them still being there seemed slim; just as unlikely would it be for Lydia to be there. There was only one place that Hollis was positive would be a good starting point, despite the failure of the night before. Perhaps this time she could get the help she had wanted to get.

[- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -]

Hollis arrived at the Beacon Hills Preserve just as the sun went down. If she had to guess, she would say she had about a half hour left until it disappeared from the sky. The cool air greeted her when she exited the warm confines of her car. With a shiver, she zipped her jacket up and started her trek into the woods. She retraced her steps or so she hoped. It was difficult to tell which direction was the right one with the lack of markers or a good memory for directions. Hollis often relied on her GPS but she doubted it would lead her to the Hale House.

On pure instinct alone, she pushed her way through and hoped to be going the right way. As the sun dipped lower in the sky and darkness crept in, panic set in around her. The confidence she had arrived with faded.

 _You're almost there,_ she told herself but with a lack of certainty.

Just as the nerves dug their claws into her, the Hale House came into view. The brittle structure stood tall against the sky and again, Hollis felt a pang of guilt at what her dad had done.

"What are you doing here?" Derek pushed his way out of the house. Arms crossed over his chest, he stood on the porch. "This is private property."

"I-I know. Sorry." Hollis stumbled over her words and took an uncertain step forward. "I'm just looking for Lydia. Scott tracked her here last night and -"

"She's not here," Derek interrupted. "Which you should already know since you broke in last night."

Wide-eyed, Hollis stared at him. "I...How…."

"I caught your scent," Derek answered to her expected question.

"Oh."

He waited a moment but she remained quiet, almost stunned. "So, why are you here if you know she's not?"

Hollis forced herself out of the stupor. "Because I need your help finding her."

Derek looked at her with curiosity, bemused at her answer. "You need my help?"

"Yeah, I do," she said with a nod.

He stepped off the porch and, in just a few strides, closed the distance between them. "Why should I help you? All of _this_ ," he gestured behind him to the ruined remains of his home, "was because of your family. You did this."

She looked past him at the burned skeleton of the home. A haunted expression on her face. "I'm sorry," she whispered, turning her attention back to him. "But this was my dad. You can't blame me for something he did. Just like I can't blame you for Peter's actions."

He kept quiet, studying her as if to determine if she meant what she said. "Really?"

"Really." Hollis bit her lower lip and, her eyes darted towards the darkening woods. The sun was barely visible now, the night colder. Frustration built up inside her as the seconds ticked by, wasting precious time that could be spent searching. "So, are you going to help me or not?"

Derek smiled, shaking his head. "You're not going to give up, are you?"

"My best friend's out there because of Peter. So, no, I'm not going to give up."

Derek talked but a howl filled the air, cutting off his words. The sound carried through the air, wrapping them up in it.

Hollis whipped her head around, trying to determine where the sound had come from. Surrounded by woods, it was impossible to pinpoint the exact location. "Was that Scott?"

"I-"

Hollis didn't wait for an answer. She took off in the direction she believed the sound had come from.

"Hollis!" Derek yelled, surprised at her taking off. "Damn it," he whispered, following her seconds later.

Branches, rocks and roots created an obstacle that was near impossible to get through. The darkness that blanketed the woods added onto it. With only the glow from the moon as her light source, Hollis struggled to keep her balance but the adrenaline kept her going.

"Wait! Stop!" A voice broke through the stillness of the night. A voice that sounded like Scott's.

Hollis entered a clearing, slowing down enough to get her bearings and give Derek the chance to catch up. Before she could move towards the voice, he grabbed her arm and pulled her back. Her breath was knocked from her lungs as she hit the tree.

"Are you _insane_?" Derek hissed, glaring down at her. "You can't just run into the woods at the first sound you hear."

Hollis matched his glare. "I was looking for Scott. Besides, why do you even care? Just a few minutes ago you weren't even going to help me."

Derek ignored her. Instead, he looked out from behind the tree to scan the area. "Scott's not the only one out here," he whispered then motioned for her to look.

Hollis he followed his gaze to see a figure emerge on the hill. Whoever it was didn't get far before a tripwire activated and, they went flying into the air.

"Someone's coming. Stay Here," Derek instructed.

With a sigh, she nodded and, Derek disappeared from sight. She waited, counting down the wasted seconds. Her counting ended when something flew past her, missing her by mere inches. Someone hit the tree with force before crumbling to the ground. Before they could react, Derek pulled him to his feet and it was then that Hollis realized it was Scott.

Scott noticed her, too and blinked in surprise. "Hollis? Wh-what are you doing here?" He then looked from one to the other. "What's going on?"

"I - It's a long story."

Derek gave a nod of agreement, not looking eager to go into it.

Hollis peeked out from behind their cover, a frown gracing her face as the figure struggled against its' restraints. "We have to help him."

Scott agreed but Derek pushed him back. "What are you doing? I can help him."

"You can't," Derek said, sounding sure.

Hollis turned to Derek, tilting her head in annoyance. "Seriously? We can help him. If you don't want to -"

"It's not that," Derek interrupted. "They're already here."

"Who is?" Hollis stepped forward but Derek held her back.

"I can help him," Scott said again, determination coating his words.

" _Quiet_ ," Derek said, silencing the both of them.

The sound of boots crunching on leaves filled the air as a group of hunters arrived. Argent was in the frontline, followed by an older man. They stopped beside their prey, who hung helplessly by the wire.

"Who's that with Allison's dad?" Hollis asked, receiving an annoyed look from Derek.

"Gerard. Allison's grandfather. He was at the funeral today," Scott whispered back.

They turned their attention towards the hunters, Argent in particular. He stepped towards his prey, his demeanor threatening as he extended a baton. The electrified tip touched the werewolf. His cries of pain met with the electricity coursing through his body.

Hollis looked away, not only from the brilliant blue flash but from the torture that was taking place. Only when the cries died down did she risk looking back. The wolf that hung from the wire was now a man, one that looked familiar. Her mind flashed back to earlier that morning. "I know him," she whispered in horror, meeting Scott's gaze that told her he did, too.

"Who are you?" Argent asked but the homeless man only stuttered an incoherent response. "What are you doing here?"

"Nothing - Nothing, I swear," he said, finding his voice.

Despite the fear that laced his voice, Argent was unperturbed. "You're not from here, are you? _Are you?_ "

The homeless man shook his head. "No. No, I came - I came looking for the Alpha."

Hollis glanced towards Derek, whose gaze didn't waver from the scene.

"I heard rumors, I heard there was - I heard he was here. That's all. I didn't do anything. I didn't hurt anyone. No one living. He wasn't alive in the ambulance. He wasn't, I swear," the homeless man continued, stumbling over his words as fear weaved its way deeper into his voice.

Gerard turned to the other hunters and gestured for them to come forward as if he was a teacher, addressing his class.

Hollis immediately disliked him.

"Gentlemen," Gerard stated, "come a little closer and have a look at a rare sight." He looked pleased as everyone gathered and looked towards Argent. "Want to tell them what we've caught?"

"An Omega," Argent answered.

"The lone wolf," Gerard added.

"Is he seriously turning this into some kind of lesson?" Hollis asked in disgust. With a shake of her head, she watched as Gerard approached a hunter and pulled something long and thin from a backpack.

Gerard continued with his speech, his voice reaching them all. "Possibly kicked out of his own pack. Or the survivor of a pack that was hunted down. Maybe even murdered. Possibly alone by his own choice. Certainly not a wise choice." As he said this, he unsheathed the sharp blade and admired it for a moment.

Her breath hitched in her throat at the sight of the sword. "What the hell is he going to do with that?" She turned to Scott to see despair on his face. "Please tell me he's not going to…," she trailed off, leaving the end of that sentence unfinished. The thought alone made her lightheaded.

Foreboding and panic hung in the air. There was no question about what would take place next, which only added to the fear felt by everyone but the hunters.

"Guys, we have to do something. We can't just - We can't stand here and do nothing." Her heart beat quickly as fear inched it's way around her, suffocating her. " _Please_."

Scott nodded once but the moment he moved, Derek's grip on him tightened.

"Don't," Derek said.

While Scott struggled with Derek, Gerard's voice rang over theirs. "Because, as I'm about to demonstrate…" He lifted the blade with both hands, the sharp metal glistening against the moonlight.

"Derek, we _have_ to stop him," Hollis pleaded, the panic rising in her voice.

The look Derek threw her let her know no help would be given.

"An Omega rarely survives on its own," Gerard finished icily.

"Please, we have to," Hollis begged.

"It's too late, Hollis," Derek said.

Hollis stared at Derek, willing him to change his mind but knew he wouldn't. Wordlessly, she turned back to the horror show as Gerard swung the blade with a quick and powerful movement across the man's torso. The sickening sound of sword tearing through flesh rang throughout the night.

Hand over her mouth, she shook her head. "No," Hollis whispered, her voice breaking. Scott staggered forward, struggling against Derek, but she stood frozen to the spot. Unable to move or do anything other than stare, her eyes glued to the gruesome scene.

As if in slow motion, the lower half of the man fell to the ground while the top half continued to swing, dripping blood and entrails onto the ground.

Hollis felt her mouth go dry and everything before her swayed. It all felt surreal but it had happened. She had _seen_ it happen. Stumbling backwards, her back hit the tree and she sunk down onto the ground. The shock and disgust at what she had witnessed dominated all other emotions, shaking her to the core. Her heart raced, threatening to jump out of her chest while the rest of her shook.

She withdrew into herself as everything around her blurred. The voices and sounds became muted, distant. Still she sat, fighting off the panic that pulled at her from all sides. But the battle was already lost and, she gave into it. Her lungs felt like half their normal size, constricting with each breath she tried and failed to take in.

 _One in, one out_ , Hollis repeated in her mind. "One in, one out," she whispered but saying it aloud didn't make the mantra work any better. She still struggled, fighting for just one small breath of air. Lost in the panic attack, she didn't notice Scott by her side.

His words sounded far away, barely breaking through the panic. "What's wrong with her?" Scott asked, looking over his shoulder at Derek.

Derek frowned. "She's having a panic attack."

"Can you help her?" Scott asked, begged almost. "I-I don't know what to do."  
Derek knelt beside her and spoke to her, his voice low and urgent but comforting at the same time.

After a couple minutes, his voice broke through and, Hollis gulped down a lungful of air. It hurt, burning her lungs as they inflated. She struggled to get a few more breaths in before she looked towards them.

"You okay?" Derek asked.

With a nod, she stood up and braced herself against the tree, averting her gaze from Scott and Derek. A cool breeze came in, bringing with it the copper smell of blood and, her stomach roiled from the smell of it. She closed her eyes, willing it to pass.

"Hollis," Scott said.

Taking a deep breath, she let it out. "I'm okay," she said with a nod, as if needing to convince herself, too. Hollis looked out from behind the tree, surprised to find the hunters gone. The top half of the man still swung, being the only indication that the nightmare had happened. "We could've helped him."

"There wasn't anything we could've done," Derek said.

Hollis tore her eyes away, directing her attention at him. "You don't know that," she said, shaking her head. "You didn't even try."

"Going out there would've been suicide, Hollis. The hunters shoot first, ask questions later. They would've killed us."

"Not if we tried before they got here," she argued.

Derek let out a long sigh.

"We had time, Derek. _Minutes_. It would've been enough to save him before they ki-…," she trailed off, shaking her head. "He died because we didn't try."

"It wouldn't have made a difference," Derek said, his tone implying that was the end of the conversation. He turned his back to her and moved past Scott.

"He was looking for you, you know," Hollis said, stopping Derek mid-step. "For an alpha, for someone to protect him. Maybe he even wanted to join your pack. I mean, that's why you wanted to be an alpha, right? That's why you killed Peter and betrayed Scott in the first place? To have a pack and be stronger?"

Derek looked over his shoulder at her with narrowed eyes.

"No offence, but you're doing a really crappy job as an alpha. You let an innocent person die, someone who needed you and -"

"Shut up." His jaw clenched at her words. In a couple strides, he closed the distance between them. His eyes glowed red, matching the anger that coursed through him while he glared down at her. "Last time I checked, I saved _both_ your lives tonight. Your recklessness would've gotten you killed."

"Or maybe it would've _saved_ someone." His presence intimidated her, the glow of his eyes reminding her what he was but she stood her ground.

Derek opened his mouth to comment but Scott stepped between them. "Guys, stop. This isn't helping anyone." He looked from one to the other, almost pleading with them to stop fighting.

The air felt hostile. Hollis and Derek continued to glare at each other, the unfinished fight hanging between them. Long seconds ticked by before Scott's words broke through to them.

With a sigh, Hollis broke eye contact with Derek. "Fine. You're right," she said and, Scott visibly relaxed. "Sorry," she added though it wasn't directed at anyone in particular.

Derek grunted in response, his eyes now back to their original color. Hostility remained on his face though the conversation ended. "You two should get home," he said before he left them alone, disappearing into the dark forest.

Hollis rolled her eyes at his sudden retreat, the anger she felt towards the situation displayed on her face.

"So," Scott said, breaking the heavy silence, "are you going home?"

She turned towards him with disbelief. "Of course not," she said, shaking her head. "I came here to find Lydia and, I'm not going home until I do."

"Hollis, you should - It's not safe out here. Derek's right about that." He frowned at her expression, continuing before she interrupted. "Look, I-I'll find her. I promise. And I'll call you when I do but -"

"I'm not changing my mind." To prove her point, she turned on her heel and headed into the dark depths of the forest. The branches overhead hid the moon, stealing the minimal light it provided. She reached into her pocket for her phone only to find it empty. She let out an aggravated sigh then remembered why she left it behind. Turned off. Brushing off the fact that she couldn't see well, she continued on but didn't get far before Scott's voice rang out behind her. She didn't want to stop and be reminded of the dangers that lurked in the woods but his persistency forced her to, if only to shut him up.

Scott nearly collided with her.. "Oh, you stopped. I uhm…." He glanced down at his phone, the light illuminating his face as his eyes scanned something.

Her patience thinned and, she crossed her arms. "What?" She asked when he continued to be immersed in his phone. " _Scott_!"

He brought his attention back to her. "Sorry, I was just -"

"If you're here to tell me to turn around and go home then you're wasting your time. I'm not giving up, not again so -"

Scott shook his head, brushing her theory aside. "No, it's not…. Hold on." He looked down at his phone, typing something. "Stiles found Lydia. Just now."

[- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -]

The roadblock up ahead stopped the scarce traffic and forced the cars to turn around to find an alternate route. Hollis saw the cordoned off area but continued on, stopping just before the first barrier. She stepped out of the car, squinting against the glaring red and blue lights that flashed. Her eyes took in the scene before her as if in slow motion, her rapidly beating heart being the only indication that time had not slowed down.

Scott joined her and, the two walked towards the first barricade but were stopped by a police officer.

"I'm sorry but you two can't be here," the officer said, striding towards them. He took in their dumbfounded expressions and pointed behind them. "There's a detour set up a block away so -"

"It's okay. Let them through," Sheriff Stilinski said, motioning them forward.

Hollis and Scott pushed through the barricade, quickening their pace towards where the Sheriff stood.

"Let me guess, Stiles called you," the Sheriff stated with a nod.

Upon hearing his name, Stiles appeared from around the car. "What? I-I didn't do anything, I swear," he said then noticed Hollis and Scott. "Oh, hey. You're here," he added, confirming his dad's theory.

"Yeah, we-"

"Is Lydia okay?" Hollis interrupted, her heart hammering in her chest. It beat so quickly, so loudly that she believed everyone could hear it.

"She's okay," Stiles told her. "But -"

"But what?" Hollis asked, her heart in her throat as she looked from Stiles to the Sheriff.

"She's just a little shaken up but she's fine," the Sheriff said, shooting an irritated look at Stiles. "The paramedics are taking a look at her right now."

Hollis looked towards the ambulance. "Can I…?"

The Sheriff nodded. "Just don't be too long, okay? They're getting ready to take her to the hospital." He noticed the panic settle over her face and continued, hoping to ease her fears. "It's protocol. She's been out here for what, two days? She needs to be monitored for a while."

Hollis let out a shaky breath and started towards the ambulance. Her legs felt like lead, stiff and heavy but she reached the ambulance. The hammering of her heart slowed some upon the conversation that reached her ears and, a small smile tugged at her lips.

"I already told you," Lydia said with an exasperated sigh. "I don't know why I went on a naked run through the woods for two days, okay? You're the paramedic, _you_ figure it out."

Hollis looked around the doors to see Lydia sitting on a stretcher, a coat draped over her thin frame. "Lydia?"

Lydia and the paramedic both turned to her.

"Is it okay if I talk to her?" Hollis asked.

"I'll give you two some time," the paramedic said, relieved at the interruption.

Hollis stepped into the ambulance and pulled Lydia into a hug. The panic from earlier faded at seeing her in one piece. "You're okay."

"Of course," Lydia said, returning the hug. Leaves and twigs stuck up in odd angles from her hair and, Hollis reached over to take a few out.

"What happened, Lyd? You were in the hospital and then…."

"I don't know," Lydia said with a shrug. A vacant look entered her eyes but disappeared a moment later. "One minute I was in the shower and the next I'm walking out of the woods. Naked."

"We spent the last two days looking for you," Hollis said, relief washing over her at knowing it was in the past now. Though there was still the mystery of _why_ Lydia disappeared, she was just glad to have her friend back. Alive.

"We?" Lydia asked, arching a brow.

"Me, Ali, Stiles and Scott." Hollis rolled her eyes at Lydia's reaction. "They care about you, Lydia. Whether you like it or not, they're your friends."

Lydia sighed loudly but a hint of a smile played on her face. "Fine. Just as long as they know I'm going back to ignoring them the second I go back to school."

Hollis smiled at the typical Lydia response, pulling her in for another hug.

The paramedic appeared albeit reluctantly and cleared his throat. "Sorry, but I need to get her to the hospital."

Hollis nodded and pulled out of the hug. "I'll visit soon, okay?" No sooner had she stepped out of the ambulance than the doors closed. The ambulance pull away with its sirens blaring into the dark night. With her best friend safely behind those doors, a weight had lifted from her shoulders.

"Hey." Stiles stopped beside her.

She turned towards him with a smile. "Thanks for finding her."

"She kind of found me, to be honest," Stiles admitted then threw a worried look her way. "But I was close to giving up and going to look for you."

She tilted her head. "What? Why?"

"Because you weren't answering your phone. You didn't answer my texts and your phone kept going to voicemail. I was freaking out. I-I thought something happened to you."

Hollis closed her eyes with a soft sigh. "Sorry. I had my phone turned off." He looked at her but she waved aside the obvious question. "It's a long story. But the short version is that I had a fight with my dad. I turned my phone off because I didn't want to talk to him."

Stiles nodded though the question remained behind his eyes. "Where did you go?"

Hollis hesitated for a moment. "I went to find Derek."

"What?" Stiles asked. Several people looked their way and, he lowered his voice. "Why?"

"Because I thought he was still our best bet in finding Lydia. But…," she trailed off, shrugging. "Now I don't know. Maybe he really is the monster you think he is."

Stiles frowned. "What changed?"

Her mind flashed to earlier that evening, filling with images she wanted to erase. She shook her head to rid herself of it but the memory remained, engraved in stone. "He let him die, Stiles."

"Let who die? What are you talking about?" Stiles took hold of her arms, steering her attention towards him.

"Remember that homeless guy at the school this morning? The one Jackson was an ass to?" Stiles nodded and, she continued. "Turns out he was a werewolf. He got stuck in the tripwire that caught Scott the other night."

Stiles smiled at the memory but the smile evaporated at the look on her face.

"Derek didn't think we had time to help him but we did." Hollis looked past him, transfixed at the empty space. "But before me and Scott could do anything, the hunters showed up and…"

"They killed him," Stiles finished.

Hollis nodded once, biting her lip as her eyes grew blurry. She angrily blinked back the tears.

"I'm sorry you saw that," he said and pulled her towards him, wrapping her up in a hug. "Are you okay?"

"Not really, no," she said with a sigh. "I just keep…. Everytime I close my eyes I see him die. They - They cut him in half."

Stiles balked at the image her words created and smoothed down her hair in an attempt to soothe her. "All of this is getting too crazy."

Hollis agreed silently. When Peter had been defeated, she believed it would be the end but now it felt like they were back at the start. Like it was beginning all over again. The arrival of the other Argent hunters only proved her theory.

"So, don't hate me or anything but maybe you…. I-I mean, maybe it would be a good idea if you took a step back. From all this," Stiles said slowly, cautiously. "At least until everything calms down and stops being so dangerous."

Hollis pulled back in confusion, staring up at him. "And what if it never does? Then what, Stiles? You can't expect me to just walk away and pretend I'm not involved."

"I just don't want to see you get hurt," he told her.

"And I love that you care but I can't do that," she said, interrupting him when he started to talk. "Sorry, but I'm not going anywhere. You're stuck with me."


	30. Chapter 30

_**FINALLY**_ **_finished the chapter! It took forever, so sorry for keeping you guys waiting. My schedule's gotten busier, and I just adopted two puppies so my time online is limited. But I'll keep writing. Teen Wolf might be over but this story isn't. Please leave feedback (thoughts, comments, criticisms, etc.) and check out my TW AU story on my Instagram: scottspierce_**

* * *

"Are you sure you're ready, Lyd?" Hollis asked for about the dozenth time that morning. She stole a quick glance at her friend, who rolled her eyes in irritation. The question continued to surface despite the number of times Lydia reassured her she was fine. Hollis worried about her. Her best friend had two near-death experiences in one week, so it wasn't easy to brush that aside. "Look, all I'm saying is that you've just been released from the hospital like two days ago. And after everything you've been through, I -"

"Hollis!" Lydia interrupted with an exasperated sigh. "I'm _fine_. I know you're worried but the doctor said I was ready to go back to school. And after being cooped up at in that hospital room for days, I need to get out. So, stop. Please."

Hollis nodded sheepishly. The worry for her friends well-being remained but she kept her mouth shut, and buried her concern.

"Now," Lydia said, clasping her hands together as a smile appeared on her face. "Are we going in or what?" Not giving Hollis a chance to reply, she opened the car door and stepped out.

Hollis shoved the keys into her bag then left the confines of the car. Like any other school day, students moved from the parking lot towards the entrance of the school. Each were absorbed in their own conversations, their own _normal_ problems. Hollis couldn't help but envy them. After having fought her way into the supernatural club so to speak, her life grew more complicated and threatened each day. She had come to terms with it but now that it began to dig its claws into the lives of her friends, namely Lydia, it put her on edge.

Hollis stepped towards Lydia, adjusting the strap of her bag as she stared at the building before them. A shaky breath left her for reasons she couldn't quite place. Maybe it was having Lydia back or just the horrible memory of the events of the past few days.

"So," Hollis said, trying hard to match Lydia's jovial tone. "Ready to do this?" A moment passed in silence with no reply. "Lyd?" She turned to see Lydia standing perfectly still with lips parted and her eyes transfixed on the school. "Hey, what's wrong?" She placed a comforting hand on her arm but got no response or reaction. She followed her gaze to the building, immediately understanding the hesitance that kept Lydia frozen in place.

Before she could utter a word of comfort, a familiar face fought its way through the crowd towards them. Allison stopped before them, excitement gracing her face at seeing the two of them. "There you guys are. I thought we were meeting at…." she trailed off as she caught both of their expressions. "What's going on? Is Lydia okay?"

Hollis opened her mouth and closed it, unsure of how to answer that. "I - She's…,"

"Fine," Lydia said shakily, surprising them both at having spoken. She regained her composure, shoving her true thoughts and emotions down before she plastered on her Lydia-esque smile. The uncertain expressions on Hollis and Allison's faces only made the redhead roll her eyes. "I had a little moment of panic," she admitted, "but I'm perfectly fine. So, let's go."

Again, Lydia didn't wait for any sort of response. Instead, she strutted her way through the groups of students and towards the main entrance.

Hollis and Allison glanced at one another, both confused at her sudden recovery.

"Uhm, we should probably," Allison started and nodded towards Lydia's disappearing form.

"Yeah, definitely," Hollis agreed.

They hurried across the grounds and caught up to Lydia in a matter of seconds.

"Finally!" Lydia exclaimed, smiling as they neared the entrance. "I thought you two abandoned me."

"Of course we didn't. It's just that...well, you kind of, I mean," Allison rambled, struggling for words. She glanced to Hollis for help.

"I _think_ what Ali's trying to say is that you kind of froze up back there." She ignored the irritated look that drifted across Lydia's face and plunged further into her explanation. "We're both worried, Lyd. Are you sure you're okay? You know you don't have to go back to school today if you're not ready."

Lydia stopped suddenly, causing her friends to almost crash into her. She turned to face them, frustration coating her features. "I'm ready. I have to be," she said, her voice softening towards the end. A faraway look entered her eyes as if experiencing the trauma of the past week all over again. She shook her head to rid herself of those thoughts before crossing her arms. "Look. I love that you two care but I'm fine. The doctor's said so."

Hollis wanted to press the issue further but bit her tongue. Instead, she nodded. "Okay. Just know that we're here if you want to talk."

"I know," Lydia said, "but there's nothing to talk about."

"Wait. So, you really don't remember anything?" Allison asked as a mix of confusion and relief crossed her face.

"Nope," Lydia said with a shrug, as if unaffected with her lack of memory.

Hollis felt the same way Allison did: confused and relieved. The horrors Lydia went

through those last few days was something that anyone would be happy to forget. Though she was happy Lydia remained outside of the supernatural world, it still puzzled her on why she couldn't remember anything.

"That's kind of weird," Hollis commented, more to herself than her friends. But she had said it loud enough to get their attention so she continued. "I mean, I guess it could be PTSD or something like that. But didn't the doctors say _why_ you can't remember?"

Lydia shook her head. "They called it a fugue state. Which is basically a way of saying

'We have no idea why you can't remember running around the woods naked for two days.'" Again, she shrugged as if unaffected by it all. "Personally, I don't care. I lost nine pounds."

Despite the seriousness of the situation, Hollis laughed. Lydia's natural ability to find

the positive in all things negative never ceased to amaze her. It was how she had been able to get through her dad leaving back in middle school and then again when she lost her parents just a few months ago. Amongst others, it was one of the things Hollis admired about her best friend.

They reached the double doors, and Hollis fell behind with Allison. They hesitated,

both unsure if their friend was really ready for this next step.

"You ready for this?" Allison asked tentatively. The question had been asked and

answered multiple times but it kept slipping from their mouths.

Lydia rolled her eyes again, throwing an annoyed look at Allison. "Please. It's not like

my aunt was a serial killer."

Allison started to reply but stopped, obviously stunned by the remark.

"Ouch," Hollis mumbled, taken aback by her words. As much as she hated Kate for what she'd done, for forcing her dad to turn his back on his friends and become the villain in her story, even she knew it was insensitive to say something like that. "Lydia!"

"What?" Lydia asked innocently.

Hollis tilted her head to the side, silently letting her know what she meant. It didn't appear that Lydia caught on, though. "Despite what Kate did, she was still Ali's family. That was kind of harsh."

Lydia sighed as if annoyed by the mild scolding. "But it was the truth," she answered then turned to Allison where her expression softened some. "I'm sorry, Allison, but I'm not the only one who thinks so. Everyone's talking about it. It's all over the news."

Allison nodded at her apology, forcing out a small smile. "It's okay. Don't worry about it."

Although Lydia seemed to accept this, Hollis knew that it was just a cover for how she really felt.

"Let's just get to class," Hollis suggested then pulled one of the double doors open, walking in ahead of her friends.

As the three of them entered, everything seemed to freeze. The noise from the multiple conversations ceased, and an awkward silence filled the hallway. It was so thick it could be cut with a knife. Dozens of eyes were on them as if studying them, scrutinizing their every move. But it soon became apparent that the center of everyone's undivided attention was Lydia.

Hollis watched Lydia carefully. She tried to gauge her reaction but Lydia remained still, emotionless. It was hard to tell if that was a good sign or not.

"Maybe it's the nine pounds," Allison leaned in to whisper in Lydia's ear.

The stares continued as did the silence. But, after a few seconds, Lydia flipped her hair over her shoulder and walked through the crowd with her head held high.

Hollis smiled proudly at her strength then followed with Allison.

The stares continued as the girls made their way to their lockers. Though the intense silence passed, it was now replaced by whispers that followed them like a bad omen. It was hard to drown out the multitude of conversations around them, though they tried. Hollis caught a few words here and there, which painted enough of a picture of what the rest of the student body thought.

About half of the topics revolved around Lydia's near death experience at the Winter Formal and how that led her to have a mental breakdown. While some seemed genuinely worried about her, others seemed to revel in her misfortune. Smirks graced some of the students faces, namely the girls, as they passed by Lydia.

Most remained fixated on Lydia's naked run through the woods but others continued to talk about Kate Argent, otherwise known as a heartless killer. Though she didn't agree with what Kate had done, she hated to see Allison subjected to conversations like this. It didn't seem fair to judge one person based off of another's actions. Despite that, there was one thing that Hollis was thankful for and that was the absence of her dad's involvement in all this. It was like no one knew he played a part in the Hale fire, that he trusted and worked alongside Kate before all hell broke loose.

She couldn't imagine whispers about her dad following her throughout the halls. It had been hard enough when people spoke in hushed tones about the accident that took both her mom and stepdad away from her. But to be subjected to stretched truths and lies would surely push her over the edge.

The sound of giggling broke her out of her thoughts, and Hollis turned towards the sound. A group of girls walked by them, laughing between whispers as they glanced their way.

"Crazy runs in that family. You wouldn't believe the stories I heard," one of the blonde girls said, shooting a judgmental look Allison's way.

"It's probably contagious," her dark haired friend said, her eyes narrowing in on Lydia. "I mean, in the past week she went from Beacon Hills popular girl to town freak."

Hollis let out a frustrated sigh, unable to ignore all these comments. "Don't you have lives of your own to discuss?" She asked the group of girls, crossing her arms over her chest. "Or are yours just that boring that you need other people's problems to entertain yourselves?"

The group stopped and turned as one to look at Hollis, assessing her quietly. The silence was broken by laughter, their judgmental eyes never leaving her.

"Like I said, crazy is contagious," the dark haired one said. "I wouldn't be surprised if next week she was the topic of conversation." With that, the group moved along as if their little confrontation never happened.

Hollis balled her hands into tight fists. Her nails dug into her skin but the pain hardly registered in her mind. It wasn't fair. None of it was.

"You didn't have to do that," Allison said, gently.

"Actually, I did," she answered, turning to her friends. "I'm so sick of people talking about your lives like you're not here. Like you didn't just go through something terrible. It's not - It's not right. Or fair."

Allison smiled her thanks but, with a shrug, Lydia said, "Well, I'm perfectly fine. It doesn't bother me."

Both girls gave her a hard look, Allison more so than Hollis.

Under their stares, Lydia sighed. "But...thanks anyway."

Hollis smiled softly, content with Lydia's half hearted thanks because she knew it was sincere despite how it had sounded.

The warning bell sounded, drowning out all other sounds for a few brief seconds. It was deafening to say the least but that was it's purpose; to get the students' attention and send them off to class.

Hollis groaned inwardly, half ready for this day to end.

"I need to get to history before I'm late," Allison said, once the ringing stopped. "But I'll see you guys later."

"Guess we should get to Algebra," Lydia said a moment later then laughed at the expression on Hollis' face. "Come on, it's not that bad."

"It's _math_ ," Hollis stated, wrinkling her nose.

"I thought you were doing better. Isn't what's-his-name tutoring you?"

"It's _Stiles_ , and he is. But it's not like I'll suddenly become a math whiz," Hollis explained while they walked. "Besides, the material's getting a lot harder and there's only so much math I can take before my brain fries."

Lydia nodded understandingly, though a smile slowly formed. "So, have you two been studying or have you been _studying_?" Her smile stretched as she waited for an answer.

Hollis tilted her head to the side. It only took a few seconds for the meaning behind Lydia's words to sink in and her eyes widened. "Oh, my God. Lydia!" She exclaimed, shaking her head at the innuendo as her face grew warm.

"What?" Lydia asked innocently, though her smile remained. "It's just a question."  
"Yeah, but - No, we've studied. Literally studied. That's all, okay?"

"Okay, whatever you say," Lydia said, laughing.

Hollis rolled her eyes and quickened her pace, more than eager to get to class and leave this conversation behind.

As soon as the girls entered the classroom, Hollis pulled out her notebook and flipped to the notes from the previous few classes. She stared down at them, perplexed by what was written though it was all in her handwriting. Algebra would forever be her worst subject, followed by Chemistry, despite the copious amounts of tutoring she received from Stiles. Shaking her head at the problems that started to give her a headache, she held the notebook out to Lydia and said, "Here are the notes you missed."

Lydia took the notebook but only for a few seconds before handing it back. "Thanks but I'll be fine."

"Look, I know you're a math genius and all but you missed a lot. You need these," Hollis said, trying to hand the notebook back to her.

Lydia sighed softly, looking at her sympathetically. "Hollis, I love you. But…these notes are a disaster."

"What? They're not that bad!" Hollis frowned then glanced down at the paper in front of her. The equations were legible enough but it was the explanations of how to solve them that were jumbled and all over the place. Words were crossed out, re-written, highlighted and some sentences were even left unfinished. "Okay, so they're not _perfect_ but -"

Her words were cut off with the slam of the door as Mr. Fields walked to the front of the room. The room grew quiet, all chatter ceasing as he mumbled a greeting to them.

"I'll be fine, Hollis. I'll catch up," Lydia whispered reassuringly then faced forward in her seat.

Mr. Fields began the class with a quick recap of the previous lesson. He explained it quickly, leaving Hollis utterly lost and confused. His words sounded foreign to her ears, the numbers and letters on the board appeared disfigured, as if in an alien language. It frustrated her beyond belief because the last thing she wanted was to fail the class. She had been doing so well but between algebra, chemistry and all problems supernatural related, there was only so much time for additional studying outside of school.

Despite her being completely lost, Hollis struggled to focus.

Mr. Fields had assigned several problems for them to do at their desks, and the only sounds were the scratching of pencils on paper. Hollis glanced around the room to see everyone working diligently, even Lydia who didn't appear to be behind whatsoever. She envied her for that, wishing that subjects like this would come naturally to her.

A few problems in, her phone buzzed loudly on the desk. She snatched it up quickly, looking around to see if anyone else had noticed. A few students glanced her way but only briefly, and it didn't appear that Mr. Fields heard anything because he was buried in his newspaper.

Before she could muster the courage to look down at her phone, the screen lit up with a second message and then another directly after that. Holding her phone in her lap, she looked down to see that all messages were from Stiles. She managed to partially read one before two more popped up in their place.

' _Turn around.'_ One of them read, then was followed by ' _I'm out in the hall.'_

Hollis looked over to see Stiles just outside the classroom. "What?" she mouthed.

Stiles gestured for her to leave the classroom and, when she didn't, he looked down at his phone and typed something.

Her phone buzzed again. Repeatedly. It only stopped when she shot a glare in his direction. Sighing, she glanced down at the unfinished problems before her and then over to Mr. Fields who was still oblivious with her silent conversation with Stiles.

"Uhm, Mr. Fields?" She asked quietly, thankful that he looked up at her words the first time around.

He raised an eyebrow, prompting her to continue.

"Is it - I mean, I need to use the bathroom," she said, hating the few stares thrown her way.

He sighed, a bit dramatically but nodded his approval.

Hollis barely made it out into the hallway before Stiles grabbed her hand and pulled her around the corner.

"What's so urgent that it couldn't wait until class was over?" She asked.

"Obviously you didn't read my texts because, if you did, you would know. Life and death here, Hollis. Literally. Well, kind of. But it's insane. We - I mean, Scott found something out. Well, a couple somethings, actually, and he -"

"Okay, stop," Hollis said, cutting off his rambling. She shook her head to get rid of the confusing words that had been thrown at her. "Just start from the beginning. But slowly this time."

Stiles took a deep breath and let it out, a sheepish look on his face. "Isaac's dad is dead. They think he was murdered."

"What? Are you serious? What happened?"

"I don't know. Scott overheard my dad talking with Isaac, telling him his dad was found dead in his car last night."

"That's terrible. Is Isaac okay?" Despite the rumors circling about Isaac's dad being abusive, she couldn't help but feel sympathy for what happened.

A long silence stretched before Stiles spoke again. "Not really, no. I mean, obviously he just found out his dad was murdered. But they took Isaac down to the station to question him."

"Wait. They think he _killed_ his dad?" Hollis asked incredulously.

"They didn't exactly put it like that but... I mean, it's not exactly insane to think that considering how horrible his dad was," he said with a shrug. "Besides, if he did, and I'm not saying he did, maybe he doesn't remember doing it."

Hollis narrowed her eyes at those words. "So, you think he went all Norman Bates on his dad?"

"Kind of," Stiles said, nervously moving his hand to the back of his neck.

She looked towards Stiles questioningly, waiting for some sort of answer. "So, what are you saying?" _Or not saying_ , she thought afterwards. There was some part of the story that was clearly missing.

Stiles sighed, nodding to himself as if making up his mind about something. "That's the other thing Scott found out. About Isaac, I mean. We were at practice and…. Well, it was before practice, actually. In the locker room. Scott scented another one. A," he looked around the empty hallway before lowering his voice even more, " _werewolf_. He didn't know who it was until we actually got out onto the field to practice," he rambled nervously. "So, long story shorty, I had a plan. Scott switched places with Danny and took the goalie position so he could, you know, smell out whoever it was that was the werewolf. Coach wasn't too happy, especially with Scott leaving the goal and tackling everyone. But, anyway, it turned out it was Isaac."

Hollis absorbed the information, and shook her head as it was all too much to process. It felt like everything they had gone through just a few short months ago was starting all over. Like they were right back at the beginning.

"So, the other day when you thought Isaac was hiding something, I think it was this. Not his dad being killed because, obviously, he was still alive but the fact that he turned," Stiles continued, breaking through her tumultuous thoughts.

"It's possible," Hollis said quietly, thinking back to that day. "So, what's going to happen now? To Isaac, I mean?"

"They'll probably hold him for twenty-four hours."

"But you said they don't think he's a suspect. That's not -"

"Fair? No, it's not. But they need to figure out who did it and, with Isaac not having any other family, they'll likely to keep him there," Stiles said with a big sigh. "And tonight's the full moon, too."

"What does that…. Oh," Hollis said, realizing the meaning of that sentence. "I'm guessing the cell won't be able to hold him when he, you know, turns."

Stiles shook his head solemnly.

Hollis frowned and let that troublesome thought sink in. She ran her hands through her hair, letting out a sigh. "We have to help him, Stiles. We can't just let him get locked up and then possibly hurt someone when he shifts."

"I know," he agreed.

She looked up at him, searching his face for answers. "But what can we do? I mean, he's probably behind bars, and I'm pretty sure breaking someone out of jail isn't exactly on the legal side of things."

Stiles shook his head, looking just as confused as she was. "I don't know," he answered honestly with a sigh. Then, putting his hands on her arms, he said, "But we'll figure it out." With a reassuring smile, he kissed her forehead and pulled her into a hug.

[- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -]

"So," Lydia started, linking arms with Hollis as they entered the crowding hallway. "What was so important that you had to leave in the middle of class to talk to Stiles for?"

"Oh, uhm…. What?" Hollis asked, caught off guard by the sudden question.

Lydia rolled her eyes, letting out long sigh. "I have ears, Hollis. Your phone kept buzzing every few seconds. Besides it was hard not to notice Stiles frantically trying to get your attention. So, spill. What's going on?"

Hollis tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, all the while trying to figure out what to tell her. She hated lying to her about this, knowing how much it had hurt to be kept in the dark all that time. But after everything Lydia endured the past few days, keeping her safe outweighed being honest. "He just wanted to check up on me since we didn't get a chance to talk this morning," she finally said, throwing a look Lydia's way to see if her explanation was believable.

"Not enough info. Keep going," Lydia said.

She stifled a sigh at her friend's persistence in knowing everything. "My dad and I got into another fight, so things have been kind of awkward at home." Despite it not being what she and Stiles talked about, it was the truth. Things were stressful at home with her avoiding her dad at all costs. Every conversation they were forced to have was strained and curt.

Lydia stopped and pulled Hollis off to the side. "Why don't I know about this?"

"You've had your own problems these past few days, Lyd. I didn't want to add mine on top of everything else."

"I'm your _best_ _friend_ , Hollis. You should've told me," she said, worry written across her face.

Hollis nodded, managing a small smile. "You're right, I'm sorry. I promise to tell you everything from now on, okay?"

Satisfied, Lydia nodded and linked arms with her again. "Good. Just because I was attacked by a wild animal, lost my mind and ran naked through the woods for a few days doesn't mean I'm not here for you when you have your own problems."

Hollis smiled at her best friend, at her ability to put aside her own problems for her friends. Curiously, she glanced at her. "Hey, so since we're talking about everything that's happened," she started, somewhat nervously, "how are you doing? I mean, honestly. You can tell me anything, you know that." She held her breath as she waited, wishing for Lydia to open up to her and not brush off her near-death experience.

Lydia sighed, and Hollis was sure that it would be the end of the conversation. Either that or she would get another 'I'm fine' response. But, surprisingly, neither of those happened.

"I almost died," Lydia said matter-of-factly but her expression showed the fear and realization of what had occurred. "I honestly don't even know what happened the day of the dance. It's just a big blur."

"You went looking for Jackson, and then got attacked by a wer...a wild animal," Hollis said, fumbling at the word that almost left her lips. "I went looking for you, and found you unconscious on the lacrosse field and losing a lot of blood. I honestly didn't know what to do. I was so scared of losing my best friend but Jackson found us. If he hadn't shown up, it probably would've been…," she trailed off, trying to block out the morbid thought. All was in the past. Her best friend was alive and well, standing beside her. "But he got there in time."

Lydia mulled over the recap of that horrible night. "Jackson saved me?" She asked quietly, as if she didn't believe it.

Hollis nodded. "Yeah, he was worried about you. I mean, we all were but Jackson even spent a good portion of the night at the hospital. The doctors wouldn't let us see you but he refused to leave."

"I didn't know any of that," she admitted.

"Well, you _were_ unconscious. Then you kind of ran away and there was no way to tell you any of it," she said half-jokingly. "But we're all glad you're okay."

[- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -]

The remainder of the morning went by slowly. Hollis was lost in her thoughts throughout most of her classes; thoughts filled with Isaac being a werewolf and the fact that Mr. Lahey had been murdered the night before. It was a lot to process, especially without all the facts. Stiles had filled her in as best he could but, given the time restraints, a lot had been left out of the conversation. Such as how Isaac turned, who was responsible for it and everything about Mr. Lahey's death. During those few classes, Hollis tried to fill in those missing pieces but it was near impossible.

However, not only did she believe Isaac to be innocent but she knew it was vital to get him out of jail. She remembered Scott during the full moon and couldn't imagine the troubles that Isaac would put himself and others in if he turned while behind bars. Just the thought sent a chill down her spine.

One more class remained before lunch, and Hollis quickened her pace towards Chemistry for the first time in her life. If she arrived before Harris did, she would be able to get more information out of Scott and Stiles and possibly formulate a plan that wouldn't get them all arrested.

The classroom was barely full when she entered, and a satisfied expression crossed her face when there was no sign of Harris. A few minutes remained before the class would start, so she hurried over to her desk. Scott and Stiles were already seated and in a heated conversation by the time that she sat down. She turned towards them, catching the last bit of Scott's words.

"...not sure. But we have need to -" Scott broke off, noticing Hollis. "Hey, we were just talking about Isaac. He was -"

"Yeah, I know," Hollis interrupted, eager to get straight down to business. "Stiles filled me in earlier."

"Kind of," Stiles said. "I didn't tell her everything because there wasn't much time to talk but, you know, just the basics."

Hollis nodded to his words. She glanced at the door to make sure they wouldn't be cut off by Harris but the only people walking into the room were students. "So, were you guys able to figure anything else out?"

"Not really," Scott said with a look of defeat. "We were trying to find out how he turned, though. We can rule out Peter because he's dead, and then that omega from the night we found Lydia was also killed."

Hollis winced slightly at the mention of the killing as it brought back unpleasant images. She shook off her emotions, though and focused on the here and now. It was a good question on who could have turned Isaac seeing as how there weren't many werewolves in Beacon Hills...none that she knew of, anyway.

"So, we don't know who else it could have been. I didn't get a chance to ask Isaac but he might not have known. When I got bit, I didn't know who it was until later," Scott said, breaking Hollis out of her thoughts.

"There _is_ someone who could've turned him," Hollis said once realization struck her. She looked from Stiles to Scott but neither of them seemed to catch on.

Scott's eyes got big, and he shook his head. "It wasn't me! I think I would've remembered. Or at least told you."

Rolling her eyes, she sighed. "I know it's not you. I was talking about Derek."

At the exact same time, they both understood and nodded.

"Oh, right. Yeah, yeah, of course. Derek," Stiles rambled while he nodded to emphasize his understanding even more.

"But why would Derek do that?" Scott asked.

They fell silent once more as they each tried to come up with an answer that would make the most sense.

"He's an Alpha now, right?" Hollis asked and, when both of them nodded, she continued. "Scott, you told me that an Alpha is stronger when he has a pack. So, what if that's exactly what Derek is trying to do? Build a pack?"

Scott and Stiles exchanged a look, mulling over her suggestion.

"Yeah, it's definitely possible," Scott said with a nod. "It'll make him faster and stronger. Better in every sense of the word."

Despite being right, Hollis couldn't help but be worried. If Derek was forming a pack, would that be a good or bad thing? That unanswered, unexplainable question left a pit in her stomach. She opened her mouth to speak up but, at that exact moment, a hush fell over the room, and Harris walked in. He barely acknowledged them all while he dropped his briefcase and stack of papers on the desk. With a quick look around the room, he turned to the board and began to write.

Hollis looked away from the notes, already feeling a headache coming on.

A few seconds passed in silence before Scott spoke up again in a hushed whisper. "But why would Derek pick Isaac?" He leaned across the desk to include both Stiles and Hollis in the conversation.

"Peter told me if the bite doesn't turn you, it'll kill you. Maybe teenagers have a better chance of surviving," Stiles suggested.

"Maybe. I don't know," Hollis said with a sigh, still unfamiliar to how the bite worked. Every piece of research she did wasn't credible, only circumstantial. From the mountains of sites and books she had read, there was no right answer. While Hollis continued to work on Stiles' previous answer, Scott had another thought.

"Doesn't being a teenager mean your dad won't hold him?" Scott asked hopefully.

"Not if they have solid evidence," Stiles answered.

"Or a witness, right?" Hollis asked.

"Right," Stiles nodded then scanned the room abruptly, his face creased with worry. "Wait...Where the hell's Jackson?"

"What does Jackson have to do with this?" Hollis muttered, growing more confused from the conversation than the chemistry lesson she wasn't paying attention to.

Scott shrugged, looking just as confused as Hollis felt.

Stiles ignored their questions and instead continued his search of the room. "Danny? Where's Jackson?"

"In the Principal's Office talking to your dad," Danny answered.

"What? Why?" Stiles asked.

"Maybe because he lives right across the street from Isaac," Danny said slowly, as if that should be common knowledge.

Stiles, Hollis and Scott shared a panicked look.

" _Witness_ ," Scott whispered.

"What do we do?" Hollis asked, her voice rising in panic.

"We need to get to the Principal's Office. Now," Stiles decided after a minute.

"How?" Scott asked, but Stiles was already on it.

Hollis narrowed her eyes at the mischievous look that crossed his face. "What are you going to do?" She asked, though she really didn't want to know what kind of idea he had brewing in his head.

"Don't worry," Stiles told her. "I got an idea."

"Okay, everyone," Harris said, his voice rising above their chatter, oblivious to the hushed conversation that the three of them had. "Please turn to page -" But before he could finish his sentence, a crumpled up piece of paper hit him on the back of the head. Silence overtook the room.

Hollis stared in horror at Stiles, who casually sat as if nothing had happened. "Are you serious right now?" She whisper yelled, tilting her head.

"We need to get to the principal's office," Stiles whispered back.

"And throwing paper at Harris was the way to do it?" She asked incredulously. "I mean, he kind of deserves it but...that's beside the point."

Stiles shrugged.

"Who the hell did that?" Harris asked, his glare piercing the entire room but landing on the three of them as if already knowing the answer.

Hollis shrank back in her seat while Scott and Stiles both pointed fingers at one another.

"To the principal's office. Now," Harris said. Scott, Stiles and Hollis stood up as one but Harris raised a hand to stop them. "Not you," he said, motioning for Hollis to sit.

"But -" she started, unsure of what argument she was trying to make.

"You want to go to the principal's office?" Harris asked, highly amused. "As much as I would love to see you get a week's worth of detention for assaulting a teacher, unfortunately you're innocent. Your idiot friends, on the other hand, aren't. So, sit down and don't give me a reason to punish you as well."

"It's okay," Stiles whispered, giving her hand a gentle squeeze before heading towards the door with Scott.

Reluctantly, she sat back down. Truthfully, she would have preferred to go with Scott and Stiles; not only would it get her out of class but she would be able to find out what it was that Jackson had told Sheriff Stilinski. The not knowing part was eating away at her, making her unable to concentrate on the lesson that began. Everything that came out of Harris's mouth was gibberish, and she was already lost. The notes she took down made no sense but, at the moment, she didn't care.

As the class continued, Hollis stared at the clock and willed the minutes to go by faster. Of course, they didn't. Time seemed to slow down altogether. With a frustrated sigh, she tapped her pen against her notebook, only semi-aware of the glare Harris sent her way each time her pen hit the paper. She didn't care, though. All she wanted was for the class to end. Chemistry was painful enough to sit through without having to think about the conversation going on in the principal's office at that very moment.

"Yes?" Harris asked, impatience coated in the three letter word.

It took Hollis a moment to figure out his question was directed at her. At first, she was confused why but then realized her hand was raised.

"Did you need something or are you trying to waste everyone's time?" Harris asked again. "Including _mine_."

A few people snickered near the back, and Hollis lowered her arm. She could feel Harris' eyes on her, impatiently waiting for an answer.

"Sorry, I uhm, I," she stuttered. "I need to be excused." Grabbing her books, she swung her bag over her shoulder and raced towards the door.

"I didn't give you permission to leave!" Harris yelled after her but she ignored him, closing the door and finding herself alone in the hallway. Her heart pounded, knowing she would be in trouble for leaving class without permission. But, in that moment, she didn't care. She slowed her breathing, focusing on the ' _one in, one out_ ' mantra in her head until her heart rate returned to normal.

She rounded the corner, stopping short at the principal's office. The door was slightly ajar, and voiced spilled out into the hallway.

"- the most accomplished, but I see you've become quite a star athlete. Mr. Stilinski. Perfect grades but little to no extracurriculars. Maybe you should try lacrosse."

The voice was familiar but sent a chill down her spine. Hollis had heard it somewhere before but couldn't quite place who it belonged to. With her breath held, she snuck a glance into the room. Seeing Gerard Argent sitting comfortably behind the desk made her heart sink and her pulse quicken.

 _What the hell is he doing here?_ She thought to herself. The last image of Gerard she had was the night he killed the omega. She felt sickened knowing that he was the principal now. How that even happened, she didn't know but the dread grew with each passing second.

"Maybe you could come over for dinner sometime. I'm a very good cook," Gerard said, pulling her out of her thoughts.

"Dinner?" Scott asked, the confusion obvious in his voice. The entire conversation and situation was completely bizarre.

"Yes. _Dinner_ ," Gerard said with all merriment in his voice. Despite the joyfulness in his voice, Hollis knew him for who he truly was. A killer. "Who knows, maybe we can re-spark that romance. Listen guys, yes, I'm the Principal but I really don't want you to think of me as the enemy."

Hollis scoffed at that comment, while she heard Stiles say, "Is that so?"

"I plan to be outside of my office as much possible. I want to be visible, accessible. Always keeping an eye on my students. Like an older brother keeping a protective eye on his sibling," Gerard explained in a calm yet commanding voice.

 _Just like he addressed the hunters that night_ , Hollis thought to herself.

"We'll just call you Big Brother," Stiles said. The sarcasm dripped from his words, and Hollis couldn't help but smile.

Gerard chuckled. "Clever, Mr. Stilinski. I think I'm going to like you. I'm not that strict, though. However, being that it's my first day, I do need to support my teachers. Unfortunately, someone's going to have to take the fall and stay for detention."

A long silence stretched, as if deciding on who it would be.

"Fine," she heard Stiles mutter under his breath with a resigned sigh.

"Great!" Gerard said, clapping his hands. "Now that that's settled, you boys are free to go. Stiles, report to Mr. Harris after school for detention and, Scott, I hope you'll stop by for dinner soon."

Hollis paced the room outside the office despite having heard the entire conversation. It was bothersome that Gerard had somehow made his way into the school and obtained the position of principal. None of it made any sense. But then again, the lives they led made little sense to begin with.

Moments later, the office door opened letting Scott and Stiles out.

"Hey! What are you doing here? Not that I'm not glad to see you but, you know, Harris said you didn't need to come here," Stiles said, clearly taken aback by her presence. "Wait...you didn't do anything stupid to get sent here, did you?"

Hollis shook her head. "No, I just needed to know what was going on." She paused for a moment, thinking back to her grand exit from Chemistry. Inwardly, she groaned at the prospect of detention being a possibility for leaving without permission.

"So, Harris just let you go?" Scott asked.

"Actually, I kind of...left," Hollis said, then added sheepishly, "without permission."

"That's my girl!" Stiles nodded, a proud smile on his face. "I knew I liked you for a reason."

A small smile formed at his words but she shook her head. "So, what the heck is going on, you guys? Why is Gerard Argent the principal?!"

Stiles took her by the elbow and pulled her away from the principal's office. Once they were out of earshot, he began to talk. "Well, my theory is that he's obviously been planted here by the someone from the Argent family." With a quick look at Scott, he shrugged. "Sorry, buddy, but that family is crazy. Except for Allison, of course. But they're clearly up to something and getting Grandpa Crazy to be in charge of the school is plan one."

"Okay, but why?" Hollis agreed with Stiles about Gerard being put into the school for a reason but beyond that, she was clueless.

"Probably to see if there are any other werewolves roaming around the school," Scott spoke up. "He's a trained hunter and, from what me and Hollis witnessed that night, he's scary good. So, if anyone can spot a werewolf it's him."

"Great," she said under her breath. The information was unsettling but there was no time to dwell on that. "So, what's our plan? Did you find anything out about Isaac?"

"Not really," Stiles said. "Jackson's definitely a witness, though. He knew Isaac's dad was beating the crap out of him, so that gives him motive for wanting his dad dead."

"But he didn't do it," Hollis said defensively. "Look, I know I don't know him that well but I don't think he would do that even if he did wolf out or whatever."

"I'm with Hollis on this," Scott said. "There's something else out there and we need to figure out what it is. We need to get Isaac out of jail."

"And how do we do that? We can't just break into the police station and get Isaac out without being noticed." Hollis looked from one to the other, hoping that someone would have a better plan other than 'get Isaac out of jail'. It was a goal but it wasn't anything concrete.

"You're forgetting that my dad's the Sheriff. I got this," Stiles said with a confident nod and a wink.

"Do you?" Hollis raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms. "Because I'm pretty sure you'll be stuck in detention with Harris this afternoon."

Stiles narrowed his eyes in a playful glare. "Thanks, I'm aware of that. But, I don't know. We can -"

A locker door slammed shut somewhere down the hall, and Hollis's attention was draw towards it. She didn't hear the rest of Stiles' words as she focused mainly on the conversation that was taking place elsewhere. The familiar voices of Jackson and Lydia drew her in.

"What do you think?" Scott asked, pulling Hollis from the other conversation.

"Sorry. I, uhm, zoned out for a second," she admitted. "But can I catch up with you guys later?"

"Yeah, yeah. Sure," Stiles said. "Everything okay, though?"

With a smile, she nodded. "I just need to check on Lydia." With that, she excused herself and followed the voices until she spotted Lydia and Jackson further down the hall. An impatient scowl was positioned on Jackson's face, as if having to talk to Lydia was a complete waste of his time.

"Hollis said if you hadn't found me and carried me back I could have died," Lydia said, her voice quiet and almost nervous. "So I wanted... I wanted to thank you."

Jackson narrowed his eyes, suspicion taking place of the impatience. "We're not

getting back together."

"What?" Lydia asked, taken aback.

"And just because I kept you from bleeding out on a field once, don't expect me to come running every time you start screaming," he said with all of his arrogance.

"I never said -" Lydia started but Jackson cut her off.

Slamming his hand against the wall behind Lydia, he moved in close and yelled, "I'm

not responsible for you."

Hollis frowned as Lydia flinched from his words as if physically struck. Unable to stand

back and watch her friend get treated this way, she moved towards them with purpose. A glare focused on Jackson. "What the hell has gotten into you?" She asked once she stopped beside Lydia. "You don't have to be such an ass. Lydia's just thanking you for helping her out."

"Hollis, it's okay," Lydia said though her voice shook from Jackson's outburst.

"No, it's _not_ okay." Hollis shook her head, turning her glare back at Jackson who stood there smugly. "Seriously, what the hell is wrong with you? You were so worried about her and now...what?"

"She survived. I'm not her keeper," Jackson said with a shrug. "Obviously she can't handle the fact that I dumped her like last night's trash so she's trying to get on my good side so I'll take her back."

Hollis rolled her eyes with a scoff. How she had believed that Jackson changed, she didn't know. He was still the same pompous jerk he'd always been. "You really are something, you know that?"

Jackson brushed off the insult or perhaps didn't take it as one. "I knew the time would come that you'd regret being with that Stilinski kid but sorry, but I'm not interested." He looked at them smugly before adding, "In either of you."

She shared a look with Lydia, annoyance marking each of their expressions.

"But I'll give you one piece of advice. If I were you two, I'd stay home tonight," he told them before walking away.

That piece of advice stunned her, and Hollis didn't know how to take it. It sounded like a warning but it peaked her interest nevertheless.

"What do you mean? What's tonight?" Hollis called after him.

Jackson turned back with an ominous smile, a knowing look geared towards Hollis.

"It's the full moon."

"What do you think he meant by that?" Lydia asked once he left.

Hollis had a couple ideas but kept them to herself. With a smile and a shake of her

head, she shrugged. "Who knows. It's Jackson."

Lydia didn't look too convinced but nodded. "True."

"Look, forget what he said. He's being an ass like always, and you don't deserve that," she told her sincerely.

Lydia forced a smile, brushing off Jackson's earlier words even though they had clearly hurt her. "It's fine. _I'm_ fine."

Hollis studied her friend carefully. It was obvious this was another one of Lydia's coping mechanisms but she kept her mouth shut this time. "Hey, I've got an idea," she said with a smile. "How about we hang out after school? Like old times."

A smile lit up Lydia's face, and she nodded. "I'd like that."


	31. IMPORTANT UPDATE - PLEASE READ

Hey, everyone! I know I've been super inactive lately, and I'm sorry for that. I recently decided to return to Grad School for Teaching so I've been super busy with the Praxis (certification) tests as well as my part-time job. I've had a fever the last couple of days, so I haven't had any inspiration or energy to write. I wanted to let you guys know that I'm still here and haven't abandoned this story. I will try to get back to writing ASAP but I'm not sure when that will be.

As I've mentioned before, I have an Instagram account (scottspierce) where I have another Teen Wolf AU story going. If you want, check it out! :)

If I have anymore updates for you, I'll let you know.


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